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Billy Harris is hoping to park the transit van and create a new narrative at Wimbledon. The 29-year-old has been one of the stories of the grass-court season with his runs to the quarter-finals at Queen’s Club and the semi-finals in Eastbourne prior to his Wimbledon debut on Tuesday. “It’s always been a dream to play at Wimbledon,” said Harris.
“I went to qualifying a couple of times and, to be here in the main draw, it’s great. I feel like my game’s in a good place. It’s been a great few weeks.
A post shared by Billy Harris (@billyrh_) “It’s taken me a lot longer than most people to get here. It’s been a long journey and a lot of years. It probably feels even more special to be here now.
” The headline around Harris so far has been the years he spent earlier in his career travelling around Europe in a converted transit van with a bed in the back to save money at tournaments. Parking in McDonald’s car parks and cooking on a camping stove, it was a far cry from the glamorous image of the grand slams. Harris eventually grew tired of van life, and it was not a happy ending for the vehicle, with the Isle of Man player saying: “My dad used it for a little bit after me and then the engine blew up so that was the end of it.
” By contrast, Harris’ career is going from strength to strength, with the 29-year-old now closing in on a place in the top 100. His first-round match will come against Spaniard Jaume Munar, with a potential clash with ninth seed Ale.
