From living in a van to Wimbledon debut: the unlikely rise of Billy Harris

Have you ever heard of a player starting their career from a very humble place? There might only be one at this year's Wimbledon - British player Billy Harris. He recently received a wildcard entry to the tournament, marking his first appearance at a grand slam event at the age of 29. Billy Harris has certainly faced a lot of challenges along the way to get to where he is now.

A decade ago, there were not many chances available. After moving up from junior to professional tennis, Harris didn't have enough money to compete like the top players in the sport. "When I first started, I couldn't afford to fly every week," Harris explained to the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) last year. "So, I came up with the idea to travel around Europe by car."

Eager to kickstart his career, Harris packed a mattress into a Ford Transit van and headed to Europe to compete. He brought along a machine to string rackets, a portable stove, and a strong desire to compete. "Some weeks in the van were definitely chillier than others," Harris recalled of his early days on the challenging Futures tour, the entry level of pro tennis.

While I was in France, during the initial weeks of living in the van, there was snowfall and I would wake up to the task of removing ice from the interior. This reminded me that I needed to find a warmer place to stay as soon as possible.

He drove from the north of France to the south of Spain, then traveled from Portugal to Poland, sleeping in his van parked in McDonald's parking lots and cooking dinner on the side of the road. At the time, this man from the Isle of Man had a world ranking higher than 1,100. Below the glamorous world of grand slam tournaments are countless players working hard to move up in the rankings. However, not everyone has the financial means to climb to the top. Harris's good friend Julian Cash, who plays doubles on the ATP Tour, mentioned, "It was a difficult decision to make. His belief in himself and the support of his family were clear. This experience shaped him into who he is now. That's why he fights so hard - he has had to work for everything he has achieved."

Making just a few hundred euros for every victory, he did not have money to pay for a coach. Up until this year, Harris was being coached by his father, Geoff, who had no experience in tennis. Starting in February, LTA coach Colin Beecher began helping with Harris's training. Beecher describes Harris as someone who has persevered and continued to play tennis, while many others his age gave up. It's an impressive tale of determination.

Moving up in the rankings and securing sponsors, Harris was able to get rid of the van in 2018 and begin traveling to games with his father. After overcoming career-threatening injuries and the challenges of the pandemic, his career took off. He started winning Futures tournaments in 2021, entering the top 500 and reaching new heights.

Ever since defeating Marc-Andrea Hüsler at the Sofia Open in November, Lloyd Harris has been on a winning streak. This was his first time winning a match at ATP Tour level at the age of 28. He recently made it to the quarter-finals at Queen's, beating the world No 32, Tomás Martín Etcheverry, and taking home £52,534 in prize money. Before this, he had only won £209,129 in his entire career. Unfortunately, on Friday, Harris just missed out on being the first Briton to reach the men's singles final at Eastbourne. He narrowly lost to Australia's Max Purcell in the Rothesay International semi-final with a score of 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.

Harris has a strong serve and powerful shots from the baseline, and Beecher believes he can maintain his excellent performance at Wimbledon. "Physically, he's in great shape," Beecher comments. "He's using more rotation on his forehand and his backhand has always been his winning shot. I see no reason why he can't achieve success at Wimbledon."

Getting a Wimbledon wildcard is the high point of Harris's challenging career. Cash has pointed out that Harris is not a young player who has always been on track to receive it. In the past few years, Harris has improved significantly and truly earned this opportunity. It's inspiring to see someone like him succeed without any special favors. Harris has worked hard to get where he is and deserves recognition for his efforts.