ABC News' Marci Gonzales reports:

Angelo Anderson never thought he'd be on the court of the US Open running alongside some of the biggest tennis champions in the world.

In fact, the Navy corpsman once worried he may never run again.

"At the time I didn't see myself being athletic again," Anderson said.

Three years ago in Afghanistan, Anderson was bleeding from two gunshot wounds - the other bullet shattered his femur.

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It's not the scar he focuses on now, but the date - July 2, 2010, which is tattooed in roman numerals on his leg.

"The tattoo on my leg is actually my alive date," Anderson said.

The date symbolizes not the day the 24-year-old Purple Heart recipient almost lost his life, but the day he began fighting for it.

Anderson underwent several surgeries and six months of rehab and learned to walk again.

When he was asked to try out to be one of the ball persons at this year's US Open, he knew all of that hard work had paid off.

It was a once-in a life time opportunity, a chance to inspire.

"Military wise…people who might be disabled, please take something as I'm doing as something you can also do as well, your injury isn't the end of the world," Anderson said.

He said his world opened up by that day on the battlefield.

"I can't say that what happened to me is a burden or the worst thing ever because look at the opportunity that came from it," Anderson said.