Novak Djokovic recently opened up about the harsh realities he faced as a Serbian teenager in foreign lands. However, the 24-time Grand Slam champion mentioned that these difficulties helped him build his legacy.Djokovic is currently in Saudi Arabia to play in the Six Kings Slam exhibition event. He recently attended the "JOY Forum," an event held as part of Riyadh Season 2025.The Serb chatted with host Max Kellerman, along with UFC CEO Dana White and former NBA star Shaquille O'Neal. Djokovic talked about his humble beginnings and how it 'thickened' his skin."So here I am as a teenager with my Serbian passport, and most of the people just turning their heads. You know, it's like, okay, you come from Serbia, not great, so you had to fight through that, endure that, but I'm not whining about it," he said.The 38-year-old expressed gratitude for those experiences, saying they helped toughen him mentally and made him even prouder of his roots."Grateful because I feel like that has really thickened my skin and still made me even proud of where I come from and what I represent because that's something that sticks," he added.Djokovic's resilience stems from his childhood in war-torn Serbia during the 1990s. Amid NATO bombings, he trained in unconventional settings. These early hardships have profoundly shaped his mental toughness and determination. He has openly discussed how these experiences forced him to mature quickly."It’s the fear of the unknown" - When Novak Djokovic opened up about growing up in war-torn BelgradeLast year, while speaking to La Nacion, Novak Djokovic reflected on the terrifying experiences of his childhood during the NATO bombings in Serbia. He described the constant fear of the unknown, never knowing when a bomb might strike."It’s the fear of the unknown. Not knowing if the next bomb is going to hit your head... And so it was every day, the alarms, the sirens that woke us up every night when the planes were approaching," he said.He emphasized how living through such extreme circumstances strengthened his family and shaped him as a person. The Serb also expressed that witnessing wars around the world today is deeply upsetting, as he cannot understand the suffering that others endure."It’s a horror. The worst thing anyone can experience. It’s the fear of the unknown. I saw dead people and now that I see wars in other parts of the world, I don’t understand. I want to make it very clear - I don’t think anyone should suffer through war to develop mental strength, there are other ways to do it," he said.Djokovic holds a 35-11 record on tour in 2025, including an ATP 250 title in Geneva. He last played in the Shanghai Masters and lost in the semifinal. Currently, he is playing in the Six Kings Slam exhibition event and will face Jannik Sinner in the semifinals.