Serbian tennis sensation, Miomir Kecmanovic, is following in the footsteps of his countryman, the World No. 1. Climbing to the top 30 of the ATP rankings last year has propelled him to fame, although his form has gone a bit off-track lately. Nevertheless, Kecmanovic remains a promising star for the near future. Being a huge fan of Novak Djokovic, he comes from a family that is well-known due to his grandparents.

Currently participating in the Australian Open, Kecmanovic has reached the third round after some amazing performances. Let’s dig deeper into why his grandparents are so famous.

Miomir Kecmanovic had extraordinary grandparents

The Kecmanovic family was popular even before the 24-year-old became known in the tennis world. Miomir Kecmanovic’s grandfather, Doctor Miomir Kecmanović, was a famous doctor and professor of medicine. Known for his contributions during the last smallpox epidemic in Yugoslavia, the paternal grandfather helped fight against the deadly disease.

Unfortunately, he passed away three years before Miomir Kecmanovic the younger was born. His grandfather is considered the hero of the smallpox epidemic in the land formerly known as Yugoslavia, which was the last epidemic of this vicious disease in Europe. The outbreak occurred in 1972 and was one of the worst epidemics of the late 20th century.

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But stepping away from medicine, Kecmanovic’s grandfather on the mother’s side, Jovan Pavlov, directed him to tennis. Pavlov was a general in the Yugoslav Army at the beginning of the Balkan wars, per The New York Times. He spoke strongly against the conflict and fought for peace for as long as he could. Moving to Kecmanovic’s grandmothers, both were economists. Kecmanovic’s maternal grandmother was in charge of his education and cooked for him. Meanwhile, his grandfather used to take him to tennis tournaments.

Although from varied fields, the 24-year-old tennis star comes from a well-reputed family. He moved to the United States when he was just 13 to pursue his tennis career. While he has idolized Novak Djokovic, Kecmanovic is considered a potential successor of the World Number 1.

DIVE DEEPER: “Have Trained a Lot Together”: Miomir Kecmanovic Excited to Play Against Novak Djokovic at Serbia Open

Next up, the Serbian faces the 14th seed, Tommy Paul, of the United States for a place in the Australian Open fourth round. It’ll be interesting to see who prevails in this nail-biting encounter.

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