World number five Novak Djokovic has shared poignant memories of how his father secured the funds for his crucial first trip to tennis tournaments in the USA during his youth.
He recounted that his initial journey to the United States took place when he was around 15 or 16 years old. The plan was for him to compete in the most significant junior tournaments for his age bracket, 16-18, held in Florida – prestigious events like the Orange Bowl and Prince Cup.
Prior to this, their family had never visited the USA. Hailing from Serbia, they faced challenges including visa issues and a general negative perception. Due to severe financial constraints, Novak had already missed numerous junior tournaments abroad. They simply couldn`t afford the travel. When his father couldn`t cover the costs, occasionally his club offered some minimal help, and on rare occasions, the federation. But money was extremely scarce. The estimated cost for flights, accommodation, and other necessities for the US trip was around $5000 – a sum that was virtually impossible for them to acquire at that time.
Facing this insurmountable financial hurdle, Novak`s father was compelled to turn to loan sharks, who essentially operated like the mafia. At that point, they were the only ones willing to lend money based purely on trust, but they demanded exorbitant interest rates. He explained the required sum and the urgent purpose – the upcoming tournaments and the need to travel immediately. They inquired about the urgency, and upon hearing that it was pressing, they stated, “Okay, the interest… 15-20%, but if it`s urgent, it will be 30%.” What choice did he have? He gritted his teeth, shook their hand, and said, “Okay, whatever happens, I`ll find a way to pay it back.”
Djokovic added that many incredible stories from that difficult period cannot be shared publicly. The family faced numerous problems. His father even suffered a serious car accident but still managed to fulfill his obligations. Novak himself only learned about this particular story of the debt much later, as his father had deliberately kept it hidden from him. Djokovic shared these compelling recollections on Slaven Bilić`s podcast.
