Ryan Peniston of the United Kingdom said he would overcome cancer after being knocked out of Wimbledon this week by teaching him how to deal with a court defeat.
The 26-year-old said that years of hospital treatment had a “big impact” on his thinking and helped him to see the loss of his sport.
Britain’s sixth-placed men lost to American Steve Johnson on the third day after defeating Switzerland’s Henry Laaksonen on the first day of the championship.
A one-year-old Peniston from the Southend of Essex suffered from rhabdomyosarcoma, a tumor near the stomach, which required surgery and chemotherapy before years of routine medical examinations.
Peniston previously thought that the slow flowering in tennis was due to his fighting when he was young, as he grew “one foot smaller than my companion.”
Talking to PA News Agency on Saturday, he said: “It had a big impact on me.
“When I was a kid, it was really hard to start my life. It was hard for my family and everyone around me.
“But I think it only made me stronger.
“It’s very humble to see many families experiencing similar things, and it looks at tennis.
“It gave me a lot of power and made me tougher as a person.”
He said when asked if the trials helped deal with his defeat.
“If I suffer a severe defeat, obviously I want to win badly in every match, but sometimes I leave the court after the defeat and think that worse things can happen.
“It definitely helps with such things.”
Peniston added that he would like to use his increased profile to help children with cancer after playing in Wimbledon this year.
“I’ve talked to some people at YoungLivesVsCancer, and they’re definitely the foundation for what I think is doing great,” he said.
“The awareness and help of any cancer I can give to my family would be great.”