(CNN) — Novak Djokovic was only 11 years old and asleep in his bed Belgrade when a loud explosion, followed by the sound of shattering glass and air raid sirens woke him up.
It is March 24, 1999, and the air strikes on the Serbian capital indicate the start of what would be a 78-day effort by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to try and bring to an end atrocities committed by Yugoslavias then-president Slobodan Milosevics troops from ethnic Albanians from the province of Kosovo.
Djokovic hunted for four-year-old Djordje, eight-year-old Marko and his brothers, inside their pitch darkened apartment while Srdjan, his father, helped his mom, Dijana, that temporarily lost consciousness after hitting her head against the doorway following the explosion.
At 11, I was the big brother, the top-ranked Serb wrote inServe to win, his 2013 autobiography. Id been holding myself accountable for their safety since NATO forces began bombing my hometown of Belgrade.
READ: Djokovic wins fifth title
READ: Wimbledon victory wasmentally the most demanding of my career
Remarkable journey
Two years on, the Djokovic is the favorite to win. Such has been his dominance within the year, hes clinched four of the five slams. 16 majors, two shy of Rafael Nadal of Spain are now held by him, and four supporting mens Grand Slam record holder Roger Federer of Switzerland.
His journey from Belgrade to the peak of the mens game was nothing short of remarkable.
In the introduction to his autobiography, Djokovic clarified the odds were heavily stacked against him.
A boy , growing up in Serbia, getting a tennis winner? It was not possible in the best of conditions. Plus it became ever more unlikely when the bombs started dropping, he also wrote.
READ: Why are smartphones currently holding rear tennis generation?
Bomb shelter
From the first chapter of the autobiography, titledBackhands and Bomb Shelters, Djokovic vividly recalls the night that changed his life forever.
After Dijana regained awareness, the Djokovic family strove to make their way to the nearby apartment building of a uncles household, which had a bomb shelter and entered the streets of Belgrade.
Djokovic found himself alone after he fell flat on his face while the roads hurried down, holding his younger brothers.
And it occurred, Djokovic wrote. Rising up from across the roof of the building came the metal grey triangle of an F-117 bomber.
What happened next would not abandon me, he said. Even now, loud sounds fill me with fear.
The bomber fell two laser-guided missiles straight on his head, which broke at a hospital building several streets away.
I recall the temperate, temperate, metallic shell in the atmosphere, and the way the entire city seemed to shine like a ripe tangerine, Djokovic said in his book.
The streets now covered in light, till they reached the shelter 30, Djokovic seen his parents and brothers at the space, also chased after them.
There were approximately 20 families.
There were kids crying. I didnt stop shivering for the rest of the night, Djokovic stated in his book.
In a 2015 interview with CNN television, Djokovic recalled the bombing effort, through which he and his family would spend each night at the shield from 8 pm, and just had electricity for a couple of hours every day.
These days are certainly something which I do not wish for anybody to encounter, he said. Two-and-a-half months, each and every day and night, bombs arriving into the city. We watched planes flying over our minds, also literally rockets and bombs landing half a mile away.
Magic childhood
Until this dark spring night in 1999, Djokovic had enjoyed what he predicted into his autobiography, amagic youth.
His father Srdjan had been a former skier and also Djokovic first started playing tennis at the age of four. No one in his household had played the game before.
Djokovic, whod spent large parts of his childhood in the tiny darkened mountain resort of Kopaonik, where his parents ran a pizza parlor, told CNN television in 2014:It was kind of like a destiny. Something happened out of the blue. I saw the tennis court and tennis was seen by me when I was four. My dad bought me a small tennis racket and thats when I believe all of us fell in love with the sport.
At age six, he was spotted in Kopaonik by the late Serbian coach Jelena Gencic, whod worked with Serbian-born former world No. 1 and also nine-time significant winner Monica Seles of the US. Soon after, Gencic advised his parents Djokovic wasthe best talent Ive seen since Monica Seles.
The pair would work together for five years, through which Gencic taught her many life lessons. When he learned of her death during the 2013 French Open, djokovic was grief-stricken , he canceled his post-match media conference.
Different perspective
Although the bombing raids could easily have finished his tennis career, life is put by it at a different standpoint, Djokovic told CNN television.
It gave me much more admiration for all of the values that I have in my entire life, he explained. From tennis to whatever. I understand exactly what it feels like being anything less or more, then being in this popular and global sport in the world. So this comparison gives me the ideal outlook in life
Although Djokovic said in his autobiography the relentless bombing campaign, the biggest military operation in NATO background, left him feelinghelpless, it did not stop him playing tennis.
In fact, Djokovic stepped up his coaching sessions throughout the campaign. He cried for as many as five hours a day at websites based on where the most recent bombs had fallen.
From becoming paralyzed by fear originally, something changed as the strikes lasted, Djokovic stated in his book.
We chose to stop being fearful, he explained. After so much death, so much destruction, we just stopped hiding. Once you realize you are truly helpless, a certain sense of liberty carries over.
No. 1
After Milosevic agreed to troop withdrawals, that the air strikes ended.
The today Djokovic left Serbia for Munich, Germanyto train at former Yugoslav expert Niki Pilics tennis academy. Hed turn pro four decades later.
Back in 1994the then seven-year-old Djokovic appeared on Serbian TV, presumably telling his aide:The goal for me would be to turn into the world No. 1.
Visit CNN.com/sport to get movies, features, and news
Seventeen years later, he became the first Serbian player to rise to the No. 1 ranking over the mens ATP Tour when he won his first Wimbledon title.
Read more here: http://uniddy.com/wp/2019/09/25/best-esports-betting-sites-for-brazil/