Djokovic revealed that he faced discrimination due to his nationality as a child: these experiences made me stronger.

Djokovic recently reflected on his childhood hardships as a Serbian youth living in a foreign land. Yet, the 24-time Grand Slam champion credits those challenges with forging the legend he has become.

At present, Djokovic is competing in the "Six Kings" exhibition event in Saudi Arabia. He recently took part in the 2025 Riyadh Entertainment Season’s "JOY Forum," where he shared the stage with host Max Kellerman, UFC CEO Dana White, and former NBA star Shaquille O’Neal. He spoke about his humble beginnings and how those experiences helped him develop a thicker skin.

“Back then, I was just a teenager holding a Serbian passport, and many people would turn away as soon as they heard that. The feeling was like, ‘Oh, you’re from Serbia, that’s not good.’ You have to fight and endure, but I never complained,” he said.

The 38-year-old athlete expressed gratitude for those experiences because they strengthened him mentally and made him proud of his roots. “I’m thankful because I believe those moments truly made me tougher, and they also made me more proud of where I come from and what I represent — these things will always stay with me,” he said.

Djokovic’s resilience stems from growing up in war-torn Serbia during the 1990s. During the NATO bombings, he had to train under extremely harsh conditions. These early hardships profoundly shaped his mental toughness and determination, and he has openly stated that this period forced him to mature faster than his peers.

In an interview, Djokovic recalled the terrifying experiences of living through the NATO bombings in Serbia as a child. He described it as a constant fear — fear of the unknown, never knowing when or if the next bomb would fall on him.

“It was a fear of the unknown, not knowing if the next bomb would hit your head, day after day. The alarms, the sirens — whenever a plane approached, we would be woken up in the middle of the night,” he said.

He emphasized that enduring such extreme conditions brought his family closer together and deeply shaped his character. Djokovic also expressed sadness over the wars happening around the world today, as he cannot understand why people subject others to such suffering.

“It was terrifying, the worst thing a human can endure. That fear of the unknown. I saw people die with my own eyes. Now, when I see wars elsewhere in the world, I don’t understand. Let me be clear — no one should gain anything through war; there are other ways to live life,” he said.

Up to now in the 2025 season, Djokovic’s tour record stands at 35 wins and 11 losses, including winning an ATP 250 title in Geneva. He recently competed in the Shanghai Masters, exiting in the semifinals. Currently, he is playing in the Six Kings exhibition, where he lost in straight sets to Sinner in the semifinals.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Huohua)