'Waited in line for bread and milk every day': Djokovic opens up on his rough childhood
Novak Djokovic
In a recent interview with former Indian player turned pundit Somdev Devvarman, Novak Djokovic opened up about the rough upbringing he had as a kid. Unlike most interviews after winning a Grand Slam, Devvarman quizzed Djokovic about the philanthropic work he had been doing and how people still had a flawed perception of him.
"We know you, we know the amount you've done. We know what you've done for PTA for example. We know what you've done with your academy, just helping out kids like the Sabanov brothers, also former players like Viktor Troicki or Ilija Bozoljac," said Devvarman.
"And yet somehow, some part of the world believes that - we feel you don't get the credit that you deserve. But my question to you Novak is why do you do all of this?"
Djokovic responded by saying he did not do the work for publicity but because wanted to help the 'less fortunate'.
"I do them because I feel I want to help, I want to be there for people who are less fortunate. I've come from Serbia in 90s where we've been through two wars, embargo for six years."
)
Claude Opus 5.5 is here: Anthropic claims it can finish a 680,000-line code migration in less than a day
)
WION Iconic Tourism Summit: Is India's travel boom outrunning its airports, airlines and hotels?
)
Xi-Trump meeting: China’s human rights red line and past protests explained
)
El Niño 2026 heats up to become strongest in 1,000 years
)
China to test supersonic jet that moves at Mach 2, double the speed of sound
)
Australian PM Anthony Albanese calls OpenAI AI incident 'unacceptable' after restricted data access
)
'AI got into my speech': Prince Harry jokes after teleprompter failure at event in New York
)
Afghan woman cyclist who disguised herself as a boy to escape Taliban, wins Asian Games medal
)
'What kind of confession is this?': Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif’s 'terrorists would be roaming New York' remark goes viral, raises alarm online. Watch
)
French court upholds decision to send PSG and Morocco footballer Hakimi to rape trial
)
WION Iconic Tourism Summit and Awards 2026: Key voices to discuss India’s tourism future
)
Eight USS Abraham Lincoln sailors attempted suicide, Acting Navy Secretary says
)
NBA player Steven Adams shares hilarious GTA VI theory
)
Trump-Xi Summit: Trade, Taiwan and the red lines shaping US-China talks | Race To Power
)
Would you date an AI? South Korea’s My AI Partner: Strange Love sparks buzz on relationship and intimacy
)
US citizen injured in Illinois after ICE agents mistook him for fugitive, hospitalised
)
WATCH | China President Xi Jinping lands in US as Trump greets him ahead of high-stakes summit
)
EC appointment law: Why is the 2023 act controversial, and what happens next? WION explains
)
Scientists detect first radio signals directly from faraway planet
)
WION Iconic Tourism Summit: How local tourism MSMEs must upskill for AI integration
)
IIT Bombay CCTV footage emerges: Sahil Wakode seen looking at phone in examination hall
)
WION Iconic Tourism Summit: 'Hanuman Ansh' Director on blockbuster success
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Trump welcomes Xi Jinping in rare airport gesture: Photos from Chinese President's arrival in US
)
2,000-foot tube, laser tests and more: China builds towns to expand nuclear arsenal, satellite images show
)
Italy hit by floods in the north, drought in the south
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New OTT releases this week (September 21-27, 2026): Shaque: Trust No One, Hunkkaar, Don’t Be Shy- 5 new titles coming to Netflix, Prime Video and more
)
'There will be elections': Venezuela's interim leader Delcy Rodriguez makes big announcement at UN
)
IIT Bombay student suicide case: CCTV from the exam hall hours before suicide
)
Israeli envoy to US Yechiel Leiter’s son critically injured in West Bank ramming attack
)
US judge questions Trump’s decision to ban CNN, MS NOW and Politico from White House
)
'Putin is patient zero': Zelensky slams Russian president at UNGA, accuses him of using fighters from 47 countries
)
Trump’s Board of Peace unveils $2.45bn Gaza plan,66 projects: But where’s the money?
)
'Arrogant parasites': Milei blasts UN over Falklands dispute, warns Argentina will ‘take matters into our own hands’
)
Cyclone Arnab: Landfall expected before midnight tomorrow as IMD issues orange alerts across six states
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
National Film Awards 2026: Kartik Aaryan, Mammootty, Yami Gautam, Randeep Hooda and other key winners
)
9 killed, several injured as tourist bus catches fire on Yamuna Expressway
)
WION Iconic Tourism Summit 2026: Union Minister Shekhawat on 'experiential travel', peace diplomacy
)
'Partners rather than rivals': Xi Jinping's first message after landing in US for Trump summit
"For four years not one Serbian athlete was allowed to go out from the country to compete in international competitions."
WATCH | Novak Djokovic wins 10th Australian Open Title, beats Tsitispas
The 22-time Grand Slam champion said he had to stand in line every day for milk and bread which used to feed the family members.
"And I was growing up in Serbia during that time, waiting in line for bread and milk every single morning at 5 AM with hundreds of people and my grandfather, so we could put the bread on the table for our five-sixmember family to eat that day."
"I know how that feels like. I think that appreciation for everything that I have, that I have been blessed with, that has been given to me by life and by God is highly appreciated and more respected by me."
Read more:'I'm not sure...': Djokovic on his injury return to tennis after Australian Open victory
The Serbian signed off remarking that he tried his best to be 'there for people' but it still wasn't enough.
Djokovic won the final against Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/5) in straight sets in front of a packed Rod Laver Arena.
(With inputs from agencies)
WATCH WION LIVE HERE: