Tennis star Novak Djokovic has revealed terrifying childhood memories of surviving the 1998 Kosovo war and NATO air strikes in Belgrade. The Serbian athlete, who was 11 years old when the conflict broke out, recalled being separated from his family during a night raid in a new documentary produced by Amazon Prime Video.
The documentary, titled A Wolf in Winter, takes its name from the Serbian national emblem and the animal with which Djokovic identifies. In the film, the 39-year-old record holder for the most Grand Slam titles in tennis history reflects on the trauma of living through nearly three months of relentless bombings in the Serbian capital.
Djokovic described one of the earliest nights of the bombing campaign when his family was forced to flee their apartment because the building lacked a bomb shelter. He said they ran into the streets at two or three in the morning amid total panic as residents searched frantically for cover to save their lives.
Separated in the dark during hospital bombing
In the chaos lit by explosions, the young Djokovic stumbled and fell while trying to follow his parents. He explained that he saw his family moving ahead without him and shouted for help, but they could not hear him over the noise of the air strikes.
Left lying alone in the dark and rain, Djokovic watched an airplane drop two bombs on a nearby hospital while looking back at his own apartment building. He described the moment as a terrifying experience of isolation during the height of the destruction.
Djokovic's brother was also interviewed for the documentary and described the period as a complete nightmare. He said that as children they could never have imagined such events occurring, adding that every evening the family huddled together in a corner to pray for their safety.
Move to Munich tennis academy
The Kosovo war broke out in February 1998 and led to an extensive NATO bombing campaign across Serbia. Belgrade, the country's capital, suffered heavy damage to infrastructure during the conflict. Djokovic later established himself as one of the most successful figures in professional tennis, building a career defined by resilience on the court.
A few months after witnessing the scenes of chaos in Belgrade, Djokovic left Serbia to move to Munich, Germany. There he joined a specialized tennis academy, taking his first major step toward his professional career.
