“I was waiting in line for bread and milk” Novak Djokovic recounts his tough childhood in an engaging interview with Somdev Devverman
Novak Djokovic shares the difficulties he went through in his childhood with Indian former pro after 2023 the Australian Open win.
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Someday Devverman, Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic is the 2023 Australian Open champion. On his path to glory, he broke many records and created some. The Serb is back at the top of the rankings and in the Grand Slam records, he is leveled with Rafael Nadal.
The monumental records of the Serb are just one side of the story. They just show the bright side of the picture. There is an unheard story also about what it took for Djokovic to overcome the numerous challenges to went to in his life to scale the peak. Most of the fans out there are not aware of that side.
After the match, Novak Djokovic sat down with former Indian pro Somdev Devverman in an interview for Sony Sports Network and gave heartwarming details about his childhood. Devverman was lavish in praise of the Serb and Djokovic too was humble in response.
The former World No. 62 highlighted the on and off-court contribution of Djokovic all these years. “We know you, we know the amount you’ve done, We know what you’ve done for PTA for example. We know what you’ve done with your academy, just helping out kids like the Sabanov brothers, also former players like Viktor Troicki or Ilija Bozoljac,” Devvarman said.
To which Djokovic responded,” “Well, I don’t think anybody has ever said so many wonderful things about me and what I have done, Somdev. So thank you from the bottom of my heart my friend for mentioning these things.”
“Look, you know, I don’t do them because I want publicity. I do them because I feel I want to help, I want to be there for people who are less fortunate. I’ve come from Serbia in the 90s where we’ve been through two wars, and an embargo for six years. For four years not one Serbian athlete was allowed to go out from the country to compete in international competitions,” the Serb explained.
“I do my best,” Novak Djokovic says about his philanthropic activities
“And I was growing up in Serbia during that time, waiting in line for bread and milk every single morning at 5 AM with hundreds of people and my grandfather, so we could put the bread on the table for a 5-6 member family to eat that day,” he continued.
The Serbian icon is as much action in the welfare of the less fortunate as much as his busy schedule on the court. In 2007, Novak Djokovic established a foundation to help children from disadvantaged communities grow up and develop in stimulating and safe environments. The foundation has built dozens of schools and has worked with the World Bank to promote early childhood education in Serbia.
Djokovic has donated funds in times of natural disasters like floods in Serbia in 2015, and bushfires in Australia among others. Most recently he supported Ukraine monetarily when former pro Sergiy Stakhovsky reached out to him for help.
Djokovic remains humble despite all of his charity work and is not hungry for the limelight. “So I always have this awareness that there are so, so many more people around the world that are much less fortunate and through my Foundation, through – you mentioned the tennis center in Serbia – whatever I can, in whichever way possible, I try to be there for people. I know I don’t do enough, I can always do more, but I do my best,” Djokovic said.
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Abhinavendu Singh
(290 Articles Published)