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Blic
![Dijana Djokovic, the mother of tennis superstar Novak, does not say a word in a Serbian program.]()
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Dijana Djokovic, the mother of tennis superstar Novak, does not say a word in a Serbian program.
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Blic
![As a feverish tennis mother, Dijana Djokovic often freaks out in the stands.]()
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As a feverish tennis mother, Dijana Djokovic often freaks out in the stands.
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Blic
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She says of Novak’s childhood: “I woke up every morning and didn’t know how to buy bread for us.”
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Blic
![«He was saved by God. Novak also believes in God, he feels chosen, »says Mama Djokovic.]()
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«He was saved by God. Novak also believes in God, he feels chosen, »says Mama Djokovic.
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Instagam
![Dijana was surprised that Jelena (left) and Novak got married so quickly.]()
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Dijana was surprised that Jelena (left) and Novak got married so quickly.
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As a thrilling tennis mother, Dijana Djokovic, mom of the Serbian tennis king, often freaks out in the stands. She also gets emotional in a video interview with the Serbian online portal “Blic Sport”, in which the 56-year-old reveals piquant details from her son’s life as part of the “Mothers of Champions” program. It is not uncommon for her tears to run down her cheeks.
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Mama Djokovic on …
«From an early age he was not like any other child. I don’t mean his talent in tennis, but what he was like as a toddler. Always much more mature. He liked to play, but his attention was different. His eyes have been sharp since he was born. Right after birth he had thick black hair and screamed as loud as an ass. I knew immediately that he was my son. »
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… Novak’s beginnings in tennis:
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«I was never a classically ambitious parent, not in my wildest dreams I imagined that my son would one day be the best in the world. Since he started, everything in our family has been all about tennis. None of us played at all. At the age of six or seven, we took him to a camp near our former home in Kopaonik. There he met the trainer Jelena Gencic in the tennis club Partizan. She took him over and said that after Monica Seles, she hadn’t seen a more talented child in the area. Yes, he was talented. But tennis is an expensive sport … »
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… their poverty and despair:
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«We had a very difficult time. We both worked in Kopaonik, but the money was just enough to pay the rent. My husband Srdjan accompanied Novak to the tournaments, I stayed at home with two small children – we no longer had any dinar (the currency at that time, the editor). I woke up every morning and didn’t know how to buy bread for us. It hurt, I was desperate. But if you have no choice and a goal in mind, you somehow make it. I think we were very brave. If Novak had been born in another country, everything would have been different. But we had no support in Serbia. We have had many sleepless nights. The worry made me sick. »
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… her husband and his dubious fundraising:
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«Srdjan borrowed money from people doing illegal business. Of course, they wanted it back with high interest rates. He kept turning in circles. To pay off the debt, he had to borrow money again and again and again … The more the dealers felt how urgently we needed the money, the more they raised the interest rate. When Novak went to the Roland Garros junior tournament for the first time, one increased in the last minute from 10 to 15 percent. But what should we do? We had no choice. Srdjan knocked on thousands of doors to find a sponsor. He spoke to business people about whether they wanted to invest in Novak. But people didn’t hear. Too bad – they would probably have made millions today. »
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… neglected brothers:
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“Everything was just about Novak. We neglected his two younger brothers because we often spontaneously directed our plans towards Novak. Once Marko and Djordje should go to a camp in Barcelona. But we canceled it because the whole family flew to Miami the next morning to be with Nole. He needed us and we wanted to make him feel like we were behind him. Then he reached the final – it was a key experience. From then on we gave everything for him. I’m sorry for the other sons, they were talented too. But we couldn’t support them too. My husband ran out of reserves. We had no strength to do it again like with Novak. »
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… Novak’s expensive price for success:
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«He was successful, he was cute. But with the popularity came a lot of cruelty. I remember his first final in London in 2005 and the money we got for it. It was like we made millions, and it was just the first hedge we ever had. On the way home I had a little more money with me than I was allowed to do and was afraid of being searched at the airport. When they asked me about it, I stuttered that it was tournament money, I don’t know exactly how much. Fortunately, a woman appeared at the moment and told the customs officer to let me go … In London in 2009 I was even more afraid: Scotland Yard held us all in the house. Because Novak supported the “Kosovo is Serbia” campaign, Albanian groups threatened him. A neighbor told me that men from our block – probably drug addicts – wanted to kidnap my dogs to ask for a ransom. Novak then lost to Marat Safin and everyone wondered why. Of course, because the boy was under a lot of pressure! It was not talked about. »
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… Novak’s reputation on the tennis court:
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«At the beginning of his career, Novak had many health problems. Because he had to give up a few matches, he was often attacked by the public or by tennis experts. He had a curvature of the nose wall, it was difficult for him to breathe. After an operation, things went better. In 2010, he was found to be intolerant to gluten. It made life difficult for him. He had to give up in Australia because of the heat. Then his bleeding toe in Paris in 2007: after playing for five consecutive days, he gave up the semi-final against Nadal. Then everyone accused him, including John McEnroe! I had bandaged his foot the night before the duel. In the morning he could barely walk in slippers. I advised him not to go to the square, he really wanted to get an analgesic injection. Then he beat Nadal 6-2 in the first set. Novak took a medical timeout between sets to bandage the wounds. When Nadal saw the blood, he knew what was going on and then chased him into every corner. Until Novak had to give up. »
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… Novak’s way of dealing with defeats:
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«The defeat at the Olympics in Rio still breaks my heart. Novak is a happy child and it is not difficult for him to cry. But the tears at that time were the biggest I have ever seen with him. He had all the prerequisites to win gold. The wish was not granted to him. He had this elbow problem and couldn’t stand the pressure. He felt that he had disappointed the people in Serbia. We were both very emotional. Maybe he got that from me – sometimes I curse quite a lot. »
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… the religious experience with Roger Federer:
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«I saw a lot of matches, but Wimbledon was the most difficult last year. In a stadium where everyone was cheering on Roger Federer, we were just a handful of fans for Novak. It’s not nice that I’m annoyed by Federer or others at such moments. But it annoyed me because Federer is a bit arrogant. When Federer had two match balls, I grabbed my cross from the Don river. I am a believer, I wear the amulet all the time, it often saved me in difficult moments. I said to myself: ‘Nole, you can do it, you’ve done it twice, you can do it again.’ He did it. He was saved by God. Novak also believes in God, he feels chosen. He carries a cross that brings him peace and happiness. It is from the Greek monastery Hilandar. He says his prayers morning and evening whenever he needs it.
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«As a young man who was more on the go than at home, he never had time for fun. Only once did I meet a friend of his, a volleyball player from Kraljevo. But then they were almost children. When he later came with Jelena, I thought it would be irrelevant, Novak was only 18. But it turned out differently. He didn’t wait any longer, married Jelena. It is logical that his wife took over the things that I otherwise did for him – cooking, household chores. I no longer interfere in his life. Unfortunately they don’t live here in Serbia, we rarely see each other. They have their own family, their oasis. There are some differences between their lives and ours, raising children or eating culture, which I don’t always agree with. »
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… her longing for the son:
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«I miss the time I used to have with Novak, long for him. Today he belongs to the whole world more than his own family. I would love to be alone with him for half an hour, talk, laugh, cry, just the two of us! But this luxury is impossible, it has too many obligations and there are always too many people around it. I would like to take him by the hand and go somewhere. One day I’ll do that! »
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