<\/p>\n
Damir Dzumhur, a fixture in the men’s top 100 over the past decade, was born in Sarajevo while missiles rained down on the Bosnia-Herzegovina capital in 1992 as the former Yugoslavia dissolved.<\/p>\n
Two days after Dzumhur and his mother were collected from the maternity ward, the hospital was bombed.<\/p>\n
When Dzumhur was old enough to pick up a racquet, there were very few courts available. Most had been bombed.<\/p>\n
“My first steps on the court were in a small school gym, which was used for football and basketball, not tennis,” the world number 66 told BBC Sport.<\/p>\n
“They just put the net in the middle and that’s where I started playing.<\/p>\n
“I didn’t play on a proper hard court until I was 12 at a junior tournament in France.”<\/p>\n
Being born in a country without tennis pedigree means there is usually a lack of financial support from their federation and fewer role models to follow into the game.<\/p>\n
Hantuchova believes players who have come from humble beginnings develop a resilience, discipline and mentality that is “not seen that often these days”.<\/p>\n
“When I decided I wanted to play tennis, I asked my parents if – one day – I could have a chance of getting a racquet,” said Hantuchova, who describes her Bratislava upbringing as “simple”.<\/p>\n
“I knew I had to wait until their monthly salary allowed them to do so.”<\/p>\n
Novak Djokovic, considered by many as the greatest player of all time after winning 24 major titles, has blazed a trail for Serbia.<\/p>\n
As a child, Djokovic was forced to take shelter in Belgrade as Nato bombed the Serbian capital between March and June 1999.<\/p>\n
“My upbringing during several wars in the 90s was a difficult time,” the 38-year-old said in 2020.<\/p>\n
“We had to wait in line for bread, milk, water, some basic things in life. That probably has been my foundation, the fact I came from literally nothing.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
#Australian #Open #Novak #Djokovic #Elina #Svitolina #Damir #Dzumhur #Oleksandra #Oliynykova #forging #careers #humble #beginnings<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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