Novak Djokovic's dad lived ‘secret' life mixing with ‘criminals', involved in ‘car chases' and ‘stories you can't say'
NOVAK DJOKOVIC revealed his dad lived a "secret" life and got involved with "criminals" and "car chases" to help fund his son's career.
Djokovic, 38, is arguably the greatest tennis player of all time.
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He boasts a staggering 24 Grand Slam titles, 100 tournaments, 428 weeks as world No1 and £138million in prize money.
But it is a far cry from his childhood in war-torn Serbia where he saw dead bodies.
Djokovic's family did not have a permanent home when he was a kid due to the bombings in Belgrade.
The child sensation could have pursued a career in football or skiing but chose tennis.
And his father went to extreme lengths to fund a make-or-break trip to the United States - where he was to compete in some of the biggest junior tournaments and meet for crunch talks with the giant IMG management agency.
But it also meant getting into some risky situations for Djokovic's dad and former footballer Srdjank, with whom he admitted his relationship is "complex".
Djokovic told Slaven Bilic on his Neuspjeh Prvaka podcast: "The first time I went to America at 15 or 16 to play in the Prince Cup and Orange Bowl, we had never been before and were coming from Serbia where the reputation was not the best.
"We simply couldn't afford it - the club helped a bit, the [tennis] federation barely.
"For such a big undertaking as travelling to the United States, it was necessary to save up a large amount of money, which at the time, for the trip, accommodation, and everything else, amounted to around $5,000 dollars (£3,680).
"To stay there and support everything, it was necessary to ensure that there was enough money, in all aspects.
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"And, at that time, finding that amount was practically impossible.
"My father turned to those famous loan sharks, criminals who at the time were the only ones willing to lend money on demand, but at very high interest rates.
"When he went to ask for the money, my father said how much he needed and why. They asked, 'Are you in a hurry?'
"He said he was in a hurry because the tournaments were starting soon. And they said, 'Well, the interest is… I don't know, 15-20 per cent, but since you're in a hurry, it'll be 30 per cent.'
"What could he do? He gritted his teeth, held out his hand and said, 'Well, whatever it is, I'll find a way to pay you back.'"
Djokovic also admitted that "there are stories that you can't tell publicly" from those "difficult times" of life.
He added: "Car chases and stuff, while trying to survive.
"In the end, he managed to pay everything back, but it was a very difficult time. This story, which I didn't know at the time, was kept secret from me."
Djokovic's rise to the top of the game ensured he and his family are set up financially for life.
As well as the £138m in on-court earnings, he has also supplemented his income with big endorsement deals with the likes of Mercedes, Lacoste and Swiss watch makers Audemars Piguet.
In the in-depth sit-down chat with the former West Ham manager, Djokovic also opened up on trying to get the tennis world to "love and accept" him - because he felt like an unwanted child and unappreciated compared to his great rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
He also said he was ready to quit tennis in 2018 after losing his first match at the Miami Open.
But watching his wife Jelena and son Stefan play tennis on a family holiday to the Dominican Republic prompted him to get back on the court.
He had gone two years without winning a major but stormed back to claim four of the next six and add 12 to his overall tally.
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