From movie sets to center court: Former child actor Damir Dzumhur set to challenge Carlos Alcaraz in Roland Garros third round

Bosnia and Herzegovina's Damir Dzumhur faces a formidable challenge this Friday as he takes on defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the third round of Roland Garros 2025, carrying with him one of the most curious and inspiring stories of the tournament.

Born in war

Dzumhur’s was born on May 20, 1992, in Sarajevo. His birth coincided with the early days of the Bosnian War. Growing up in such difficult circunstances, Dzumhur was a gifted child who practiced skiing and football alongside tennis. His father, Nerfid, who has coached him throughout his career, founded a tennis school in 1994 and began training Damir at the age of five. Later in his career Dzumhur made history by becoming Bosnia and Herzegovina’s highest-ranked male player, reaching a career-high ATP ranking of World No. 23 in 2018.

Beyond Tennis: A child star?

Adding another layer to his amazing story, Dzumhur started acting during his teenage years. At 14, he appeared as a background actor in Grbavica, a 2006 film by Jasmila Žbanić that won the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival. A year later, he secured a significant role as a sniper named Duncan in the German war drama Snipers Valley (2007).