Great story on Djokovic

[jdubbs]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/02/sports/tennis/02iht-SRDCDJOKOVIC.html?_r=1&hpw

“It was the first day of my first year in Kopaonik, and I was doing a tennis camp,” said Jelena Gencic, a leading tennis coach and former professional player. “And he was just standing outside the tennis courts and watching all morning, and I said: ‘Hey little boy, do you like it? Do you know what this is?”’

That summer afternoon in 1993, Novak, just 6 years old, accepted Gencic’s invitation and returned to take part in the clinic himself. He arrived carrying a gym bag with his belongings well in order, just like the professionals he admired via satellite television.

“One racket, towel, bottle with water, one banana, a dry extra T-shirt, wrist band and the cap,” Gencic recalled recently. “And I said: ‘O.K., who prepared your bag? Your mother?’ And oh, he was very angry. He said, ‘No, I am playing tennis.”’

 

[JoelDali]

This is proof that it doesn't take a $4000 a month day camp with McEnroe's name on it to produce a champion.

Champions come out of nowhere.

 

[meg0529]

 

[JoelDali]

“The third day, I called to see the father and mother for the first time, and I said, ‘You have a golden child,”’ Gencic, 74, recalled in an interview at a clay court in Belgrade where she still gives lessons. “I said the same thing about Monica Seles when she was 8.”

 

[Tennis sensation]

Great Article

Thanks for sharing

 

[MajinX]

This is proof that it doesn't take a $4000 a month day camp with McEnroe's name on it to produce a champion.

Champions come out of nowhere.

actually djokovic's family is super rich... and im sure he got into a bunch of more expensive tennis camps later on. not saying champs cant come out of no where but djokovic isnt the best example

 

[abraxas21]

This is proof that it doesn't take a $4000 a month day camp with McEnroe's name on it to produce a champion.

Champions come out of nowhere.

tennis is actually a very expensive sport and money is certainly something you need in order to become a pro.

not saying that money is enough of course but you're certainly gonna need it.

 

[jdubbs]

Certainly his family had some money, though it was still a stretch to commit financially the way they did.

How many coaches come to parents and say "You're child has a gift" and the parents spend tons of money nurturing this "special talent" and nothing ever comes of it? You never hear about those stories.

But yeah, the stubborn kid showing up outside the courts one day...classic. reminds me of me as a kid, minus all the talent of course.

 

[abraxas21]

very interesting article btw. thanks a lot for sharing.

 

[jdubbs]

You know, people (i.e. O'Reilly and his lapdogs) criticize the NY Times as a bastion of liberal media, but they seriously have the most in-depth stories. They always seem to dig deeper than almost any other media source, and certainly most newspapers.

I mean, seriously, going to Serbia for an interview with the tennis coach when Novak was 6? But that's how you get insight that others can't touch.

 

[spiderman123]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/02/sports/tennis/02iht-SRDCDJOKOVIC.html?_r=1&hpw

“It was the first day of my first year in Kopaonik, and I was doing a tennis camp,” said Jelena Gencic, a leading tennis coach and former professional player. “And he was just standing outside the tennis courts and watching all morning, and I said: ‘Hey little boy, do you like it? Do you know what this is?”’

That summer afternoon in 1993, Novak, just 6 years old, accepted Gencic’s invitation and returned to take part in the clinic himself. He arrived carrying a gym bag with his belongings well in order, just like the professionals he admired via satellite television.

“One racket, towel, bottle with water, one banana, a dry extra T-shirt, wrist band and the cap,” Gencic recalled recently. “And I said: ‘O.K., who prepared your bag? Your mother?’ And oh, he was very angry. He said, ‘No, I am playing tennis.”’

Thanks for sharing. A must read for tennis fans.

 

[Tshooter]

"This is proof that it doesn't take a $4000 a month day camp with McEnroe's name on it to produce a champion."

They can come from anywhere. Then they are sent to an academy for training. Either you come up with the money or you get sponsored. In any case, it's expensive and your "proof" fails.

 

[pound cat]

During the USA bombing of Serbia in the 90-'s Djokvic and Ana Ivanovic and other young players were practicing in an empty swimming pool . They got up at 4 am to practice, as the bombing came once the sun had risen. YES the USA bombed Serbia for those of you who did not know that.

http://www.wsws.org/articles/1999/apr1999/koso-a02.shtml



It didn't cost anything to play
in an empty pool. The only cost might have been to their life.

 

[JohnnyCracker]

And if the US had not bombed Serbia, Ana and Novak would have amounted to nothing compared to where they are now. Yes, I get what you're saying.

 

[sabala]

How's the tennis scene in Srebrenica these days?

 

[Ballbashing Grinder]

How's the tennis scene in Srebrenica these days?

Yeah cos kids like Djokovic and Ivanovic were responsible for that :roll:

 

[Ballbashing Grinder]

actually djokovic's family is super rich... and im sure he got into a bunch of more expensive tennis camps later on. not saying champs cant come out of no where but djokovic isnt the best example

They might have been middle-class or relatively wealthy(as Goran said, "we could have had comfortable lives if he hadn't played tennis") in Serbia but on the world scale, looking at places like Great Britain and America(whose economies dictated the price of tennis) they were **** poor.They borrowed huge loan after huge loan and lived off the bare essentials- I read in another article that they(the 4 besides Novak) crammed into a tiny flat while he was in the academy and even lived with other people(they briefly refer to it here as "communal living arrangements").And they got some seriously fortuanate breaks like Jelena Gencic(an expert who didn't even charge them and who also had crucial links to Pilic,who not only took him when he was 12 when entry was meant to be 14 but also cut the price from full price for the academy(again I read somewhere else that they made some arrangement cos they couldn't afford the whole thing)

Here is an extract from a Serbian article from a couple of years back(via Google Translate but you get the gist ) where Srdjan talks about Gencic and Pilic


" We have always had terrible luck, so we met at the right time with the right people ... Jelena Genchi is a tennis fanatic, as it is Nikola Pilic. It is a huge, huge tennis man, the greatest tennis person in Serbia ... When I say tennis man, I think a player, coach, fan, fanatic and a lover, whatever you do, it is undoubtedly the first, as it is Nikola Pilic biggest man in tennis history of tennis ... Well, I say, we are at the right time and right place met with the right people ... such as Jelena and Nikola Pilic. She took Novak when he was almost seven years ... They worked the next four years and had over 2,500 individual hours of work, and never a single dinar(Serbian currency) is not collected from us ... It was a fantastic person in every way. In fact, Novak revealed his incredible talent. The same was repeated after Nikola Pilic, when Novak went to him with less than 13 years, also worked for four years. I say, we were lucky that we have met with such people who have actually been more than fair to our family and our son. They are now members of the family and they are something that is part of the history and legends of Novak" - said Srdjan Djokovic.

 

[Sentinel]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/02/sports/tennis/02iht-SRDCDJOKOVIC.html?_r=1&hpw

“It was the first day of my first year in Kopaonik, and I was doing a tennis camp,” said Jelena Gencic, a leading tennis coach and former professional player. “And he was just standing outside the tennis courts and watching all morning, and I said: ‘Hey little boy, do you like it? Do you know what this is?”’

That summer afternoon in 1993, Novak, just 6 years old, accepted Gencic’s invitation and returned to take part in the clinic himself. He arrived carrying a gym bag with his belongings well in order, just like the professionals he admired via satellite television.

“One racket, towel, bottle with water, one banana, a dry extra T-shirt, wrist band and the cap,” Gencic recalled recently. “And I said: ‘O.K., who prepared your bag? Your mother?’ And oh, he was very angry. He said, ‘No, I am playing tennis.”’

He was already an angry brat at SIX !!!
Haha, that last part was delicious Thx for posting.

 

[JoelDali]

actually djokovic's family is super rich... and im sure he got into a bunch of more expensive tennis camps later on. not saying champs cant come out of no where but djokovic isnt the best example

Awesome, more reason to hate the guy.

 

[Sentinel]

This is proof that it doesn't take a $4000 a month day camp with McEnroe's name on it to produce a champion.

Champions come out of nowhere.

Oh and i thought champions were recycled out of Federer's used racquet grips and wristbands

Just read the full story. Very touching ! More reason to love the guy.

 

[sabala]

Yeah cos kids like Djokovic and Ivanovic were responsible for that :roll:

The point being there was a reason that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization was dropping those bombs which pound cat selectively left out of the post and seemingly trying to imply it was the USA doing all the bombing for no reason whatsoever, which is not the case. :roll::roll::roll:


I miss watching old Slobodan Zivojinovich. I think it was him and Agassi playing at the AT&T Challenge (not sure) that was the first match I recorded when my family finally got a vcr.

Gotta love this story, how hardcore is that to be out practicing during an aerial bombardment campaign going on around you?! And I lol'ed at a young "Serious Djokovic"!

I still hope Ivanovic can get her head together but she seems to not be able to handle the pressure of being a top player...

 

[rallyjunkie]

EWxcellent article. How can you not respect Djokovic? I like the other story when the coach was 15 minutes late for the lesson with lil Novak and lil Novak expressed anger at the coach for being late. Not sure if it was Gencic.

Go Djokovic!

 

[Ballbashing Grinder]

The point being there was a reason that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization was dropping those bombs which pound cat selectively left out of the post and seemingly trying to imply it was the USA doing all the bombing for no reason whatsoever, which is not the case. :roll::roll::roll:


I miss watching old Slobodan Zivojinovich. I think it was him and Agassi playing at the AT&T Challenge (not sure) that was the first match I recorded when my family finally got a vcr.

Gotta love this story, how hardcore is that to be out practicing during an aerial bombardment campaign going on around you?! And I lol'ed at a young "Serious Djokovic"!

I still hope Ivanovic can get her head together but she seems to not be able to handle the pressure of being a top player...

I know what you're saying, but this article is focusing on the players not the politics of it and bottom line is, none of these players had anything to do with the atrocities yet despite this they were left suffering the fallout(i.e NATO bombing Milosevic, but hurting plenty of innocent civilians along the way)

 

[jdubbs]

I know what you're saying, but this article is focusing on the players not the politics of it and bottom line is, none of these players had anything to do with the atrocities yet despite this they were left suffering the fallout(i.e NATO bombing Milosevic, but hurting plenty of innocent civilians along the way)

Yeah, but Milosevic was responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths. He had to be stopped. Sometimes there is collateral damage.

Anyway, cool story, and I'm definitely a Novak fan now!

 

[Ballbashing Grinder]

Yeah, but Milosevic was responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths. He had to be stopped. Sometimes there is collateral damage.

Anyway, cool story, and I'm definitely a Novak fan now!

I'm not saying he shouldn't have been stopped, course he should but some people sound like they're saying Djokovic's own personal hardship story would have more meaning(and sympathy) if Serbia had been an innocent victim of unjustified attacks. All I'm saying is the reasons Serbia were bombed have nothing to do with it, these players'(regardless of what the countries leaders had done) only link to the whole thing was suffering during the bombing etc. They had no hand,act nor part in the other stuff so yes, their story is just as relevant as it would be had Serbia as a country committed no crimes.

 

[Raoul_Duke]

Novak as a kid



Novak Djokovic - beginnings



Novak's first interview

 

[MaiDee]

Yeah, but Milosevic was responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths. He had to be stopped. Sometimes there is collateral damage.

What are you talking about??? I am from Serbia, how is possible that I don't know that?

 

[Bartelby]

The USA's publicly-stated reason has been shown to be false.

The point being there was a reason that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization was dropping those bombs which pound cat selectively left out of the post and seemingly trying to imply it was the USA doing all the bombing for no reason whatsoever, which is not the case. :roll::roll::roll:


I miss watching old Slobodan Zivojinovich. I think it was him and Agassi playing at the AT&T Challenge (not sure) that was the first match I recorded when my family finally got a vcr.

Gotta love this story, how hardcore is that to be out practicing during an aerial bombardment campaign going on around you?! And I lol'ed at a young "Serious Djokovic"!

I still hope Ivanovic can get her head together but she seems to not be able to handle the pressure of being a top player...