Despite suffering a shocking defeat to the no.123 from Italy, Luca Nardi in the R32 of the BNP Paribas Open. Novak Djokovic is still the world number one. However, this defeat has not only cost the Serbian ranking points but also a significant amount of prize money. He has a record of 8-3 this season and hasn’t won a title yet. His poor form in 2024, has now come in for scrutiny with several criticisms showered straight at him. 

But so what? There are still many in the world who worship him like their idol in the world of sports. The number of major titles he has won and the achievements he has made so far in his career are parallel to none. But who did Djokovic look up to while growing up as a player? Who’s Novak Djokovic’s ‘childhood idol‘?

‘She was planting those seeds that I’m reaping today’ – Novak Djokovic recalls memories from his past

A few weeks ago, during an interview with Jeffrey Katzenberg of WndrCo at the Upfront Summit, Novak Djokovic talked about his ‘childhood idol‘ and ‘tennis mother‘. Who are they? He talked about how staying with Jelena Gencic (whom he referred to as a psychologist) helped him know about his idol, Monica Seles.

Djokovic said that he was a 7-year-old boy when her ‘tennis mother‘- Jelena Gencic used to get permission from his parents so that he could train and spend time in her house. He added, “She used to train with Monica Seles. She’s my childhood idol.”

“Growing up with a coach that used to coach her. I used to hear everything about Monica.” Novak Djokovic then went on to reveal how he used to eat, sleep, and read books to copy his idol. He even started watching videotapes, listening to classical music, and even reading poetry at the same time after his school hours or after his training was done with his tennis mother.

He then went on to add, “At that time I didn’t understand why I was doing that. But I was following her because I believed her and I really enjoyed spending time with her. But what she was doing she was planting those seeds that I’m reaping today. And understanding how everything that I do, particularly as an individual athlete, is affecting the way I feel, the way I rest, the way I prepare myself.”

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But how did Jelena Gencic build the man that Novak Djokovic is currently today? Here’s what the 24-time Grand Slam champion had to say, adding more on his ‘tennis mother’s‘ contributions to his life.

Djokovic reflects on how his ‘tennis mother’ told him to set goals in his life

During the interview, Novak Djokovic said that he was really fortunate to be surrounded by some amazing people who are not only experts in sports but also know how to manage young people. He believes Jelena Gencic steered his early childhood development and understood his psychology like no one else.

Reflecting on that, Djokovic added, “One of them was Jelena Gencic. She passed away 10 years ago and I like to call her my tennis mother. She taught me that it’s important always to have a goal in life and to have clarity. Because goal brings clarity and clarity brings discipline and the right attitude and perseverance and resilience.”

Novak Djokovic revealed how his ‘tennis mother’ had told him the importance of having a holistic kind of multifaceted approach to life and not just to the sport. What are your thoughts on Djokovic’s childhood idol?

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