Novak Djokovic Says His On-court Outbursts Are Connected to Childhood Trauma: “I Was Not Able to Express My Feelings”

Novak Djokovic‘s outbursts while playing are well documented. The Serb, who was last seen in action in the opening round of the Cincinnati Masters, explained a deeper reason behind his intense burst of emotions.

Djokovic’s childhood was heavily impacted by wars. Instead of a carefree childhood, he carried responsibilities, forcing him to mature early. At times, the extreme hardships the Djokovic family faced left little room for young Nole to express his emotions. But the tennis courts let him release the emotions trapped inside.

A lot of things that we are feeling today are very much connected to the traumas that we experienced when we were kids. Particularly those years when there were problems everywhere.

Novak Djokovic said in his Prime Video documentary, Novak Djokovic: The Wolf in Winter

Djokovic also recalled the time he and his family fled for their life when NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) dropped bombs in Belgrade during the Kosovo War in 1999, just a few months before he left for Munich to train at an academy.

I had to mature very quickly at 13 years old. I was not able to express my feelings anymore, and I was a kid; I mean, you know, I should be expressing everything: the joy, the fear, the frustration, the anger, anything. The tennis court was a place where I could really get all of these things out.

Novak Djokovic added

Also in the documentary, his wife Jelena Djokovic said he is living the childhood he missed through their two kids, Tara and Stefan. Jelena revealed that when Djokovic goes into an ‘isolation mode’ and closes the door on everyone, Tara doesn’t let him and brings her dad back to the family.

Andy Roddick on whether he’s worried about Novak Djokovic for the US Open

Novak Djokovic has played six tournaments this season, including the ongoing Cincinnati Masters, where he suffered an opening-round exit, losing in three sets to Thiago Agustin Tirante. Djokovic experienced physical problems and appeared to throw up into the towel.

This was the second time he crashed out of the opening round of a tournament this year. Next is the US Open, where he lost to eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals last year. Andy Roddick, on his Served podcast, revealed whether he is worried about Djokovic.

I don’t care who you are, because going from playing practice sets in Greece against some person who is 600 in the world and then showing up against a guy who is 25 in the world who can rip your head off, you have to be playing against the best in the world with some sort of consistency.

Andy Roddick said

Djokovic last won the US Open in 2023. Since then, he has played three Grand Slam finals, losing all to Alcaraz (2023 Wimbledon, 2024 Wimbledon, and the 2025 Australian Open).

So he will be fine. Looking at the weather for New York, it’s going to be 75 degrees, that’s going to be different to Cincinnati. But I think he can probably get away with finding those reps and practice more than anyone else in the world.

Andy Roddick added

Last year’s runner-up Jannik Sinner withdrew from the US Open. He is dealing with a knee injury, which forced him to withdraw from the event he won in 2024 by beating home favorite Taylor Fritz.

Sinner will be ending a season with one Grand Slam title for the first time since 2024. His lone major was Wimbledon.

Also read: Aryna Sabalenka Angrily Bounces Ball Back to the Ball Kid During Shock Cincinnati Defeat