‘I Almost Died’- 32YO ATP Pro Unevils Horrifying Life-Threatening Past That Could Have Cost Him His Life

Damir Džumhur’s 2025 season has been a breath of fresh air. After a solid 2024 Challenger campaign, the Bosnian returned to the ATP top 100 and has kept the momentum rolling into this year. After a five-year absence, Džumhur qualified for the main draw at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells and promptly defeated Roberto Bautista Agut in the first round. That wasn’t the end of his headline-worthy performances. Džumhur also made a splash at the 2025 Mutua Madrid Open, reaching the third round for the first time in his career at this Masters 1000 event. His journey back to the top levels of tennis, however, is not just about points and wins. Behind the resurgence lies a story stitched with perseverance, resilience, and a whole lot of fighting spirit.

To understand the roots of Džumhur’s grit, you have to go back to where it all began. Born on May 20, 1992, in Sarajevo during the Bosnian War, Džumhur’s earliest days were shaped by a world in chaos. Growing up amid conflict taught him a kind of toughness that shows itself every time he steps onto the court.

That same resilience carried him into the history books. The 32-year-old became the first man from Bosnia and Herzegovina to play in a Grand Slam tournament, making it to the third round of the 2014 Australian Open. Fast forward to 2018, and he achieved a career-high ranking of World No. 23—the highest ever by a Bosnian player. But success was never a straight line for Džumhur, and one of his toughest battles wasn’t against an opponent across the net.

In 2022, at Roland Garros, Džumhur faced life-threatening pancreatitis that could have ended his career, or worse as he revealed he “almost died”. In a candid interview with Clay in collaboration with RG Media, the World No. 63 recalled the terrifying ordeal. He said, “It was very sudden, and it happened very fast. I was at Roland Garros 2022, where I played Fernando Verdasco in the qualies. Soon after the match, I felt a sharp pain in my stomach. It kept increasing, and at some point I understood something was wrong, because it wasn’t a normal pain—it was very strong and unusual.”

He further continued, “After consulting with the doctor on-site, I felt even worse, and they sent me to a hospital in Paris. I was lucky they sent me quickly. I had inflammation of the pancreas, which was very severe. The doctor told me I was lucky to be young and in good shape, because someone older or weaker could have easily died from that kind of inflammation.“

Not many would bounce back so quickly, but Džumhur clearly had other plans. He added, “It was a tough period, but I overcame it pretty fast. I returned to the tennis court only four months after it happened. I’m so happy to have a normal life and to be able to play tennis, because at that point I really thought it was the end of my career.”

The Bosnian has fought his way back to the tour. And it hasn’t been without some bizarre moments.

Damir Dzumhur’s match gets disrupted by large-scale power outage

Entering the Mutua Madrid Open ranked No. 63, he started strong with a gritty comeback win over Mattia Bellucci, prevailing 4-6, 6-4, 6-2. However, what stole the spotlight was the handshake at the end of the match. Bellucci seemingly performed a fake handshake after the match, which irked the Bosnian.

However, he progressed to the second round and took down 32nd seed Sebastian Baez, again rallying from a set down to win 1-6, 6-1, 6-2. The 32-year-old’s third-round match against Matteo Arnaldi came with a plot twist no one could script—a massive power outage. On the day of his match, a large-scale blackout hit Spain, Portugal, and parts of southwest France. Cities like Madrid, Barcelona, and Lisbon plunged into chaos with homes, trains, and traffic lights going dark. The Manzanares Park Tennis Center wasn’t spared either. The blackout knocked out the electronic line-calling systems mid-match, forcing officials to go old-school. Play was halted when Arnaldi led 6-3, 3-2, and resumed only after the umpire began calling lines manually. It felt like a throwback to a different era, but at least Džumhur and Arnaldi managed to complete their match—Arnaldi eventually winning 6-3, 6-4.

Meanwhile, not everyone was as lucky. Over at the Manolo Santana Stadium, the match between Grigor Dimitrov and Jacob Fearnley had to be stopped entirely. The scoreboard went dark, the spidercam dangerously dangled over the court, and the organizers eventually postponed the rest of the day’s play.

Despite the unusual circumstances and a tough loss to Arnaldi, who, by the way, had already pulled off an upset over Novak Djokovic, Džumhur’s Madrid campaign still felt like a win in itself. He had navigated both personal and professional storms to find himself back in the conversation. How far do you think he can climb this season?

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