Novak Djokovic has travelled to be with his father in hospital.
Novak Djokovic’s dad Srdjan has reportedly been rushed to hospital and has been joined by his son at his side after suffering a fall. The world No. 1 was due to travel to Italy to compete at the Rome Open in preparation for the upcoming French Open but instead has halted plans in order to be with his father.
Serbian outlet Zurnal claim that after Srdjan broke his humerus he was admitted to the emergency centre in Belgrade, shortly joined by Novak and his uncle Goran.
Reports in his homeland claim that Srdjan was feeding birds at home when he fell from his chair and hit his arm on the floor, suffering a fracture to his upper arm, and will have to undergo an operation. Both Novak and his brother Marko rushed to be by their father’s side and it is unknown how long he will spend in hospital as he continues treatment.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion skipped the Madrid Open this week and was set to play in Rome when the competition gets underway in a week’s time, having eased his schedule to focus on the Majors.
“Unfortunately, I won’t be able to play in Madrid this year,” Djokovic said at the Laureus Awards. “I’ve planned to play in Rome, so I hope I’ll be able to do that, if I prepare well. This year has been a bit different for me, I haven’t yet found my best level of tennis and I hope I will at Roland Garros.”
Novak Djokovic owes a lot to his father for his success in tennis, having revealed that Srdjan went into debt and had to go to loan sharks in war-torn Serbia during the 1990s to fund his son’s budding sporting career during the 78-day bombing of Belgrade, having lost his job as a result of the Balkan Wars.
But the 63-year-old has previously explained how he wishes that his son would retire from tennis this year. “I think for some time that he should have stopped working this extremely difficult job,” Srdjan said in a documentary last year.
“As far as my wishes for him go, he has already fulfilled them all seven/eight years ago. The rest is this amazing bonus.
“Tennis is only one segment of his life, not his whole life. I expect him to be recognised for the things he will do after his career ends as well, after he leaves the tennis world, which I hope it will happen next year. And for Novak to slowly but surely… it’s not the end, but in a year-and-a-half let’s say.
“My wish as a father – I think for some time that he should have stopped working this extremely difficult job. It’s physically and mentally challenging and very demanding – with him being fully dedicated for 30 years, and not taking his foot off the gas, there is not much time for other things in life.”
