Dubai: At just 20, when your normal junior tennis player would be scampering about on the tour doing Futures and Challengers, Marko Djokovic is in a privileged place. After all, he is the brother of Novak Djokovic — and it can open a lot of doors, at least on the men's ATP World Tour.
But ask Marko how it feels being in such a shadow and his response is mixed — it is both a boon and a curse. "It's tough to say, because there have been a lot of positive and negative things being his brother," he said.
"There are a lot of positives. Financially, I have all the needs [met] and I can get all the coaches and all the practice I require. But there are negatives as well, as there are a lot of pressures on me and everybody expects a lot just because I am Novak's brother. And this is really tough to achieve."
With five-time Grand Slam winner Novak shooting his way into the top spots as one of the players to beat on the tour, Marko has had his issues to deal with for carrying the surname ‘Djokovic', besides being his brother. "The past two years have been tough. I am just putting aside the fact that he's my brother," he says. "And I'm keeping up with the pressure, so hopefully things will get better."
Privilege
The brothers belong to the same world of a high-intensity sport like tennis and they do spend a considerable amount of time together — this week being a case in point, as the older brother's presence was enough to hustle the younger sibling into grabbing one of four wild cards for the Dubai Duty Free Men's Open.
It is a privilege he certainly enjoys and finds nothing in it to be ashamed about either. "Yes, of course. To have a brother like that is a privilege," said Marko, who was beaten 6-3, 6-2 in the first round on Monday.
"He's helping me a lot with advice. He knows a lot about tennis and he's trying to push me to go more and more, to improve, to not make mistakes that he made in that stage of his life."
Marko affirms that Novak was his inspiration in taking up tennis. "I was watching Novak. I remember he started playing tennis in the mountains. I was following him all these years, going to school as well, watching him, practising next to him. He was my idol from when I was younger," he said.
"So I was always in tennis, but it was my decision. It was nobody else. My father told me: ‘You can choose whatever you want to do in your life. It's your life'. I chose tennis."
Challenges
But that is where things stand. There cannot be a harsher reality than that world No 869 Marko — who has lost the three matches he has played in senior ATP tournaments — now has to go back to the Futures and Challengers events, at least for the moment, till he climbs suitably up the world rankings and into Novak's world.
"We cannot compare [careers]. He [Novak] was No 3 already when he was 20 years old. So still, life experience and everything that's how he's helping me a lot. It was pretty funny. When I was younger, when Novak started, you know, 18, 19, when he started to go really good, going top 10, top three. Then when I played under-16, under-14 tournaments there would be a crowd watching, while there were only parents and coaches at the other matches.
"Maybe sometimes I have an advantage because they get scared because I am Novak's brother... In the Futures, they're trying more. So there is this big difference when they play against me and I see them playing against somebody else."
And to think there is a third Djokovic waiting in the wings — 16 year-old Djordje, who is training in Florida and touted by none other than Novak as the best of the three!
