Wednesday 19 October 2016 17:09, UK
For once, the tennis court was not a lonely place as Marcus Willis. This summer’s darling of Wimbledon embraced the warmth of support he was missing for so many years.
Yet he still retains the clarity of thought to use his own 15 minutes of fame to emphasise how the life of a professional sportsperson is rarely so glamorous.
Willis, the 26-year-old from Slough, has nothing but good memories from the feel-good story he created at Wimbledon - as the world No 772 he embarked on a seven-match winning streak that landed him a second-round tie against the mighty Roger Federer.
"The lob was an amazing point, it's nice to look back on that," he exclusively told Sky Sports in a rare moment of self-appreciation, remembering the moment he deftly guided the ball over Federer's head to the clamour of his home crowd.
"But I'd sacrifice that to win the match. I came out of the match disappointed. The first day after the match, I didn't want to speak to anyone. I could have played better - I had break points but didn't take them."
I came out of the match disappointed. The first day after the match, I didn't want to speak to anyone. I could have played better.
Willis has a degree of embarrassment when discussing his 6-0 6-3 6-4 defeat to Federer (he hit nine aces and earned a personal-best pay day of £50,000) because it clouds what he believes to be the true story behind his career.
"I had too many pints, and ate too much," he said. "I'm a big guy anyway but I was massive - too massive to play tennis. I made some bad choices. I don't blame anyone for me being out of shape. I was very close to giving up. I was going to America for a couple of years to save up, but if I came back in a couple of years… I don't know. That's a shame to think.
"Three years ago I went from 1000 in the world to 300 very quickly but I got injured and couldn't travel as much as I wanted to. It's a very lonely sport. You do need help, especially when you're starting out because you don't make money - you're playing people of the same level so you don't improve. You've really got to have an extra gear in you.
"People don't realise what you do - they only see you at Wimbledon. I went to Spain and won a tournament there, which was tough, and lost in the final of the doubles - the profit was €60. You think 'why am I doing this?' But being injured is the worst because you can't earn money and can't do what you love."
I went to Spain and won a tournament there, which was tough, and lost in the final of the doubles - the profit was €60. You think 'why am I doing this?'
Willis believes that prodigious talents can evaporate simply because the financial strain of aiming for the stars can be too much of a burden. What's the solution? "There isn't one," he sighed. "You can get a job, make some money that way. There's a reason why people are giving up - it's not financially possible unless you've got help."
Willis' personal best world ranking was in 2014 when he was ranked at No 322 until injuries curtailed his progress. As such, it could be interpreted as misinformation that he was ranked at No 772 when he opposed Federer on the sunniest day of his career so far.
He entered last summer's Wimbledon with a reputable job offer in Philadelphia lingering at the back of his mind - he didn't want to swap playing for coaching in his mid-20s but he has a wedding to pay for, closely followed by the arrival of his first child.
"Whatever happened at Wimbledon, I was going to start again in January [2017]," he explained. "It gave me a great push and I've been given backing by my fiancé, which is all I need. She said 'go for it, this is what you do - you're a tennis player'.
People think that losing in the second round at Wimbledon is not a great achievement. I'm not as good as Andy Murray but that's what I'm working towards.
"People think that qualifying for a Slam, the level isn't very good, but you're playing top 100 players. It's a lack of knowledge. People think that losing in the second round at Wimbledon is not a great achievement. I'm not as good as Andy Murray but that's what I'm working towards."
Willis doesn't seem like a character who takes himself too seriously - his self-imposed 'Will-Bomb' nickname sounds like something bandied about in a student union. Asked about future goals, he won't put a time-frame on cracking the world's top 100 and certainly won't look further.
Next on the agenda is the Tie-Break Tens exhibition event alongside Murray, Dominic Thiem and Jo Wilfried Tsonga. The world No 495's newfound popularity has afforded him the chance to vie for the $250,000 jackpot.
"I've got nothing to lose so I'll go there, and try to upset some people. Every opportunity I get, I'll take, and win or lose I'll learn a lot. I've beaten very, very good players.
"I want more - I'm not done."
