“We borrowed money from the mafia.” Novak Djokovic reveals shocking details about the start of his career
Ileana Sanchez
Dailysports's expert
Tennis legend Novak Djokovic, in an interview with Serbian media, shared shocking memories from the early days of his sporting career. The athlete admitted that his father had to borrow money from the mafia so that he could continue playing tennis.
Djokovic said that at the start of his journey, he needed money to travel to the United States to compete in tournaments. The trip cost $5,000—a sum the Djokovic family simply didn’t have. That forced his father, Srdjan, to take an extremely risky step.
“My father had to turn to loan sharks, to the mafia. He explained our situation to them, and they agreed to a loan at 30 percent interest. We had a lot of problems; they even caused a car accident. But in the end, he managed to pay off the debt,” Novak recalled.
It’s worth noting that Djokovic’s father’s sacrifices paid off in full, as Novak eventually became a true tennis legend. He has been world number one, won Olympic gold, and claimed 24 Grand Slam titles.
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