"Novak Djokovic had a very difficult childhood, Roger Federer grew up happy" - Stefanos Tsitsipas' mother Julia on why Serb has a better mental edge

Stefanos Tsitsipas' mother Julia recently opined on why she preferred Novak Djokovic over Roger Federer. She mentioned the struggles Djokovic saw as a child, while the Swiss, on the contrary, spent a happy childhood.

Serbia was formed in 1991 after Yugoslavia split into six different smaller nations. However, this led to a massive war dubbed the 'Yugoslav Wars' that lasted from 1991-2001, which resulted in a massive number of deaths and caused the Serb, who was born in 1987 to grow up in intense conditions.

Despite growing up in such conditions, the 37-year-old became one of the greatest players in the history of tennis.

When asked who she preferred between Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic on a Russian show on YouTube, Stefanos Tsitsipas' mother Julia Apostoli, a former tennis player herself, mentioned how she took into account the circumstances under which the two men grew up and hence, decided to choose the Serb over the Swiss Maestro.

"I had a multi-layered life. I lived in Belgrade for a while, so I speak Serbo-Croatian. By the way, Djokovic, although they write about him that he is a Serb, in fact he is a Bosnian by birth. But he chose one of those nationalities that lived in Yugoslavia. He had a very difficult childhood. This can be explained," she said (translated from Russian).

She pointed out how Federer didn't have to mentally prepare himself for the same risks the Serb faced in his childhood.

"He had to hide in an air raid shelter as a child. Federer grew up in a happy country - Switzerland. This is also worth considering. He didn't have those moments when you have to risk something to achieve something else," she added.

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"I remember standing in line with my grandfather at 5 in the morning to get bread to feed our whole family" - Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic - Source: Getty

During his recent interview with La Nacion, Novak Djokovic discussed the struggles his nation faced during the Yugoslav Wars. He also shared a story from his childhood, where he stood in line for bread, which would feed his entire family, alongside his grandfather.

"I remember standing in line with my grandfather at 5 in the morning to get bread to feed our whole family—my grandfather, my aunt, my uncle, my cousins, my siblings, my parents and I. We all lived together in a small apartment because we had no other choice and those are the things that became an integral part of my character, of who I am today as a person," the Serb said.

The 37-year-old also took a journalist to the air raid shelter, where he and his family took refuge to stay safe from the bombings.