The usual happenings any tennis fan sees are thrilling rallies, powerful serves, and electrifying match points. But beyond the tick-tock of the tennis balls, and the grunt of the players, there’s an often unheard sound—the echo of their past struggles. This inaudible noise of their hardships resonates deeply within each star, shaping their journey to the top. For Novak Djokovic, this is profoundly true. His path to glory has been anything but easy. Biographer Mark Hodgkinson delves deep into this unseen aspect of Djokovic’s life, revealing the battles that forged the champion we see today.

Hodgkinson engaged in an interview with Tennis Majors to deliberate on a wide range of aspects of his latest book, “Searching for Novak.” This included discussions about Chris Evert’s views on Djokovic’s upbringing and its potential impact on the Serb’s skills, which refined him as one of the greatest players of the sport. Hodgkinson highlighted the challenges that the 37-year-old faced when he was a child. 

In his book, the biographer has highlighted how NATO bombings helped Djokovic evolve as a person. When visiting Blegrade, Hodgkins managed to have a look at the bunker where the Djokovic family took shelter from the airstrike against the Republic of Yugoslavia, during the Kosovo War. “I think for Novak, it’s not something that he’s going to forget…That episode definitely shapes him. For a few years, he felt angry about it. But I think as time went on, he realized that it wasn’t helpful for him to stay angry. So I think he reached a point where he felt like he could forgive.”

When quizzed about how this episode helped Djokovic, Hodgkinson shared a conversation Chris Evert had with the Serb. “She said that if you’re in the fifth set of the Wimbledon final, you’re 15-40, 4-5 down, it feels like a very stressful moment. Then if you think back to what he’s been through previously in his life, what happens on a tennis court, it’s pretty minor. She said that you know that’s obviously shaped his mindset and shaped how he thinks on court.” It was in the 2019 Wimbledon final, when Nole outshined Federer. 

Both Federer and Djokovic fought for the final glory in set 5. Nole expressed sheer dominance despite the challenges he faced from an opponent superior on grass. Eventually, they closed the set 13-12, getting Nole his fifth Wimbledon. Continuing further, he explained the unbothered nature of the Serb which he has likely developed over the years. Djokovic himself has resonated with similar statements in the past. 

In an a CBS documentary from 2011, Djokovic revealed the impact of the incident on his life. He recalled waking up because of the bombings often late at night for almost 3 months for those 78 days in 1999. “In a way these experiences made me a champion, it made us tougher, made us more hungry for success.” But while Djokovic cruised through the challenges, there was one moment in his career when he decided to quit the sport forever.

When and why did Djokovic decide to quit tennis?

Nole has dominated the sports and has redefined the meaning of tennis for many budding players. But the 24-time Grand Slam winner had his own challenges as well and there was a time when he thought he would not be able to go any further.

Speaking in the same interview, Hodgkinson spoke about the time Nole had troubles in 2018 and faced a string of defeats. “He said to his support team ‘I’m done. This is it, I’m stopping here’. And he told his agents, his sponsors, and team that it was all over.” Nole suffered from an elbow injury in early 2017 and revealed the need for rest he had. However, Hodgkinson shares that his wife helped him overcome his woes.

Novak went on a trip with his wife and son. Jelena found an old ball machine and decided to hit a few shots. “I think the first couple of days he wasn’t interested. And then on day three or day four, he suddenly appeared. And then suddenly he actually thought, ‘this is fun‘, you know, and got back into it.” Hodgkinson explained that while Nole started practicing again without proper tennis attire, he soon got them back on after the holiday.

And as the Serb gears up for one of the most important matches of his career at the Paris Olympics, it would be interesting to see if he can remain determined and win big.