[1] Because all tennis courts in Iran were closed down, he spent the next three years playing backgammon daily in Tehran, until he won a local tournament with the prize of airplane flights to Athens.

France offered Bahrami the opportunity to play small tournaments, but he saw that the cost of living was quite high and needed a way to maintain his finances until he could begin winning prize money.

When his French visa ran out and without a carte de séjour (residence permit), he became a political refugee, an illegal immigrant, was constantly in fear of the police, regularly slept rough, and was forced to make food last for days.

Due to the forced break in his tennis play from the Islamic revolution fallout, his potential in singles was never fully realized.

[5] His comic turns on the court often include faking serves; slow-motion miming; hitting balls backwards between his legs, over his shoulder, or from the back; and playing while lying down, seated, or kneeling.