Novak Djokovic reveals mafia crashed dad’s car over tennis loan | Tennis | Sport

There isn’t a title in tennis Novak Djokovic hasn’t won, leading to untold accolades and riches. But success in tennis wasn’t always guaranteed for the boy from Belgrade.

Nevertheless, his father ensured his son was on hand to take advantage of a great opportunity during his development. And it led to Srdjan Djokovic, a former professional skier himself, seeing his life threatened as he attempted to repay a mafia loan. Tennis can be an expensive hobby, and the Djokovic family didn’t have the funds necessary to finance a trip to the United States when a big opportunity arose. But that didn’t stop Nole’s dad from venturing into dangerous territory to ensure they could make the date.

“The trip cost about $5,000 in total; it was impossible to have that money at that time,” he said on YouTube channel (Ne)uspjeh prvaka while speaking to former West Ham and Croatia manager Slaven Bilic. “My father had to turn to loan sharks, to the mafia.”

Djokovic, 38, was still just a boy when he was offered the opportunity to meet in Tampa with IMG, one of the biggest agencies in the world of sport. And so confident was Srdjan in his son’s ability that he took out the high-interest loan despite the risks involved.

“When he went to ask them for the money, he explained how much he needed and why,” he continued. “They asked him, ‘Are you in a hurry?’ And he said yes because the tournaments were starting soon.

“And then they told him: ‘Well, the interest is… I don’t know, 15-20%, but since you’re in a hurry, it will be 30%.’ And what could he do? He gritted his teeth, extended his hand and said, ‘Well, whatever it is, I’ll find a way to pay it back.’

“They were very difficult times. There are so many stories that cannot be told publicly… car chases and other things while trying to get by. In the end, he managed to pay it all back, but it was really tough. And then this story that I didn’t know at the time remained hidden.”

It’s understood the loan sharks in question caused Djokovic Sr to have a car ‘accident’, though it’s not explained whether that was meant as a means of intimidation or more. He eventually managed to pay back the loan, however, and the rest is history.

Djokovic has famously gone on to win 24 Grand Slam titles, more than any other player in history. He has also amassed an estimated net worth of £176million, enough to pay off his father’s mafia debt thousands of times over.