In personal essay, Djere opens up about loss of his parents

Every player has a unique story to tell, and now the world has learned Laslo Djere's. For the ATP's "My Point!", the Serbian takes a deep dive into his complex feelings during the Rio Open final and opens up about the loss of both of his parents to cancer.

"All my life, my parents and I had worked for this moment. Since I was five, my dad had taught me so much about tennis," the 23-year-old said. "But life changes quickly, and I've had to learn to appreciate everything, including opportunities as rare as a final at the ATP 500 level."

Djere earned his first ATP Tour title at the Rio Open by defeating Canadian youngster Felix Auger Aliassime in straight sets, 6-3, 7-5. His mind wasn't just on the match, as he had just lost his dad two months prior.

"Even with all my nervous energy, I had a measure of peace about the final. I knew that, even though my parents weren't in the stadium that night, they were watching," he said.

Everyone would say he has made his parents very proud. So far in 2019, Djere has jumped from No. 91 to No. 32.