French Open ace was born in war, just avoided tragic death and dated Big Brother star | Tennis | Sport

In his French Open defeat against Carlos Alcaraz, Damir Dzumhur showed the fighting spirit of a player born amid the height of the Yugoslav Wars. The 33-year-old battled bravely after finding himself two sets down against the world No. 2, taking the third set, but eventually succumbed to a 6-1 6-3 4-6 6-4 defeat.

Dzumhur was born in Bosnia in May 1992, only weeks after conflict broke out in the country. While pregnant, his mother is said to have dodged shelling and barricades to safely arrive at a Sarajevo hospital to give birth. She was unable to leave the hospital for a period of time because shelling continued. When the family returned home with the newborn Damir, they learned that the hospital they had very recently been inside had been almost completely destroyed.

As Dzumhur grew up, the conflict around him continued. His release was playing tennis at the facility where his father coached. Despite the horrors witnessed, Dzumhur, a football fan with a degree in political science, made appearances in movies as a teenager.

He credits his upbringing with forming his resilience, telling Clay: “Probably one big part of me, my fighting spirit and the energy on court come from that time, because I was born May 20, one month and few weeks after the war started in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Sarajevo. The war began April 6 and we had to go four years [of] occupation in my country.

“Obviously, I was very young to remember it, but I’m pretty much sure that this fighting spirit comes from also fighting that time, not just me but also my family, my parents who were all the time in Sarajevo during the war. I’m sure it affects me in a good way.”

Three years ago, Dzumhur was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis. Doctors believe that had it not been for his superb physical condition from his tennis career, he might have died.

The world No. 63 added: “I lost eleven kilos in just a few days. It was a really tough time, but after that, once I was back on court, I started to enjoy tennis even more. I’m happy I got a second chance.”

Dzumhur is the only top-100 player from Bosnia. A celebrity in his homeland, he was once in a relationship with model and former Big Brother contestant Barbara Segetin, with whom he shares a son called Luka. After forcing Alcaraz to reach the very limits of his game at Roland Garros, Dzumhur will head home even more popular.