"Novak is the GOAT, But Federer is the Biggest Influence in Tennis," Says Damir Dzumhur

Damir Dzumhur of Bosnia and Herzegovinia (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Damir Džumhur was born on May 20, 1992, in Sarajevo, right in the middle of the Bosnian War. Growing up during such difficult times taught him resilience, something clearly visible in his tennis career.

He became the first man from Bosnia and Herzegovina to play in a Grand Slam tournament, reaching the third round of the 2014 Australian Open. In 2018, he reached his highest ranking, No. 23 in the world—the best ever achieved by a Bosnian player. Despite major setbacks, including a life-threatening illness at Roland Garros in 2022, Džumhur fought back.

In this interview with RG and CLAY, he shares about his tough childhood, overcoming serious health challenges, and the inspiration he draws from tennis legends like Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.

– You were born in the middle of a war, the Bosnian War. How has that influenced your character and your fighting spirit?

– Yeah, I guess probably one big part of me, my fighting spirit and the energy on court come from that time, because I was born on the 20th of May, one month and a few weeks after the war started in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Sarajevo. The war began on the 6th of April, and we had to endure four years of occupation in my country. Obviously, I was very young to remember it, but I’m pretty sure this fighting spirit also comes from fighting through that time—not just me, but also my family, my parents, who stayed in Sarajevo throughout the war. I’m sure it affects me in a good way.

– You experienced a tough childhood during the ‘90s because of the war. Incredibly, during the 2020s there are children suffering in Ukraine, in Palestine, and in some African nations. Wars and armed conflicts don’t stop. What’s your reflection on that?

– I don’t understand why we have wars today—why people fight in 2025. I guess there will always be something, always people who don’t want peace, unfortunately. I’m a war kid, and I would never wish anybody to go through that. I wish peace to everybody in the world, but I guess sometimes it’s just impossible. My mind cannot understand it.

– What can a tennis player do about it?

– Not only tennis players, but athletes all around the world are trying to share peace and love.

With our job, we bring people together.

– Recently, you went through one of the most difficult moments of your life…

– I was really close to dying.

– Can you take me through it?

– 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. 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.

– That’s scary.

– 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.

– What precautions did you have to follow after your recovery?

– When I returned to Serbia and continued my recovery, the doctor told me to be very careful and to watch what I eat. He was very skeptical that I’d return to the court soon. Facing a potentially long absence, I didn’t know what was going to happen. I lost eleven kilos in just a few days, which is a lot for my height! I’m normally around 66 or 67 kilos, and I weighed only 55 at that point.

It was a difficult time, but I think after that, when I started playing tennis again, I enjoyed it much more. Looking back, I’m happy I got a second chance.

– How was the support from the tennis world?

– I had big support from my colleagues, but the most important support was from the people around me—the family and friends who were always close to me. People who stood by me in both easy and difficult times.

– On another topic, I want to ask you about Novak Djokovic and the influence he’s having on tennis in Bosnia.

– He influences tennis around the world, but especially in our countries. We have many good players, especially in Serbia and Croatia. Now Bosnia and Herzegovina has me; Mirza Bašić was top 80 not so long ago, we had Tomislav Brkić, who was top 50 in doubles, and another friend from Davis Cup, Nerman Fatic, who was top 200. For these very small countries, which went through war and tough situations, it’s a big achievement to have Novak Djokovic as one of us. Someone who won 24 Grand Slams and was number one for seven years came from a small country and pushed up all the tennis players from the Balkans. He proved that if you really work hard and push hard, you can do it even if you come from a country without great facilities.

– Is the GOAT debate still alive after Novak Djokovic won everything and broke almost all the records? Some say Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal still have a bigger influence—and that this makes them greater.

– Well, if you ask me, my tennis idol was Roger Federer; I cannot say it wasn’t. His way of playing, his style, and of course his influence on and off the court were huge. Probably the biggest influence in tennis comes from Roger. In an individual sport, it’s easy to choose a GOAT in tennis—you just have to see the results, and that’s Novak Djokovic. In other sports, team sports like basketball or football, numbers are relative, as some great players are not always on the best teams. Novak has the most Grand Slams and many other records. He’s definitely the GOAT; but in my opinion, Federer had the biggest influence on me and probably on many people.