Novak Djokovic's Brother Opens Up
Marko Djokovic spoke about growing up in the shadow of his famous brother, the pressure, and the moment their father put the last ten euros on the table.
Marko Djokovic spoke about growing up in the shadow of his famous brother, the pressure, and the moment their father put the last ten euros on the table.
Marko Djokovic, the brother of the greatest tennis player of all time, Novak Djokovic, spoke candidly in an interview published on Monday, August 17, 2026, about the difficult experience of growing up in the shadow of his famous sibling. Together with Novak's former coach, Pepe Imaz, he is organizing a charity tournament in Spain called "Amor & Paz y Amigos" (Love, Peace, and Friends), and it was during the announcement of this event that he opened up about the frustrations and feelings of worthlessness he has struggled with for years.
Marko, who is now 34, recounted how he went through an extremely challenging mental period and that it was Imaz who helped him find inner peace. "I was in a tough phase of my life. I was suffering. I saw a psychologist, I tried everything, and Pepe Imaz opened up a part of me that was hidden when I met him by chance in Marbella," Marko told La Vanguardia.
He also shared how, as a child, he sought the attention of his parents, Dijana and Srdjan, who were overwhelmed with work to provide for the family. "As a child, I sought my parents' attention, but they had neither the energy nor the time. I understand them. I sought love through tennis, and I was mistaken. With Novak, the bar was set very high, and when I failed to reach it, frustration set in," he said.
A particularly emotional moment from the family's past relates to the period when Novak, who had already shown exceptional tennis potential at age eight, had to leave for Germany at just 13 to continue his tennis development. The family was in an extremely difficult financial situation at the time, and father Srdjan decided to make the seriousness of the situation clear to his son.
"When Novak had to leave Serbia to progress, my father sat down with him, took the last ten euros out of his pocket, put them on the table, and said, 'This is all we have now. I can't support you anymore. Either you commit to this one hundred percent, or we won't be able to afford it anymore.' Imagine the pressure that put on a 13-year-old boy. He had no room for error or failure," Marko recounted, as reported by N1 BiH.
Dnevno.hr offers a slightly different version of the same statement, in which Marko says his father "took out ten euros" and told Novak: "This is all we have now. I can't support you anymore. Either you commit to this 100 percent, or we won't be able to pay for it anymore." Both versions emphasize that the pressure on Novak was immense and that he had no room for failure.
Although he does not blame his parents for anything, Marko's mission today is to prevent similar things from happening to other children. "Imagine what goes on in the mind of a child who doesn't have the chance to share what they feel because there are situations where parents don't listen. We've seen many such experiences, and it happened to me too. This tournament provides an opportunity to express yourself," he said.
Novak later built one of the greatest careers in tennis history, reaching 24 Grand Slam titles, but Marko's story shows how demanding the journey was for the entire family while the future champion was taking his first steps toward the top of the world. Alongside Marko and Novak, the Djokovic family also includes the youngest son, Djordje.
