REMEMBER the name, Marcus Willis?
Well, if you were watching Wimbledon on TV nine years ago – and particularly if you are an uberfan of Roger Federer – then it is likely you may recall his incredible story.
Phil Shephard-Lewis – The TimesFans will remember Marcus Willis from his surprise run at Wimbledon in 2016[/caption]
Nicknamed ‘Tubster’ by cruel social media trolls, the world No.775 played in the main draw of Wimbledon in 2016 while he paid bills with coaching stints at Warwick Boat Club.
He had come through not just three rounds of qualifying – he eliminated teenagers Andrey Rublev and Daniil Medvedev – but also several PRE-qualifiers for aspiring British aces in front of a handful of people on private grounds.
Not only did he win his opening match at SW19 against Lithuanian Ricardas Berankis, he ended up facing the Swiss maestro, the eight-time singles champion, in round two on Centre Court.
While the cheeky Brit from Slough was humbled 6-0 6-3 6-4, he will forever dine out on the moment he LOBBED the greatest grass-court player of all time with one of the shots of that year’s tournament.
Nearly a decade on, Willis has got married, become a father of four – his kids, two of which are step-children, are aged between 6-13 – did bricklaying during lockdown, and come out of self-imposed retirement.
He is now in New York, surviving three match points, and making it to the second round of the US Open men’s doubles with Polish unit Karol Drzewiecki – even though they only got in at last-minute alternates.
Willis said: “I found out on Thursday night we were in. So that was pretty exciting. We were on site to sign-in.
“But we had to wait as with 15 minutes to go, a few singles pairs entered. So you can never predict anything. Worst case, if we didn’t get in, I’d have trained here for a week.
YouTubeWillis lobbed Roger Federer during their second round clash on Centre Court[/caption]
YouTubeThe Brit may have lost but he is remembered for his audacious lob shot[/caption]
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“I had my return flight booked for the UK for Sunday but have had to change that. It’s mad to be playing the US Open.
“I’m delighted to be here. It’s my first Slam outside of Wimbledon.
“You get some mad tennis fans who go, ‘I was there at Wimbledon’. It’s nine years ago! Life has moved pretty quick.
“I remember the feeling of being at Wimbledon like it was yesterday, and it really wasn’t.
“I was last into pre-qualifying because one player couldn’t make it back from Turkey in time when his flight was delayed. I hadn’t hit a ball on grass because it had been raining.
“I had planned to venture to the States, get a job, but I’m glad I didn’t.”
Willis – whose “incredibly supportive” wife has been at Flushing Meadows but is set to fly back home for work – came out of two-year retirement in July 2022.
Funded by a kind-hearted business pal, he has played twice at Wimbledon since then in men’s doubles and grafted away primarily on the ATP Challenger Tour.
His diet has always been an issue and he admits he struggles to control his weight.
Willis was cruelly nicknamed ‘Tubster’ when he first broke onto the sceneGetty Images – Getty
In November 2014, he was filmed drinking soda and eating a Snickers bar during a changeover at an ATP Challenger event in Knoxville.
Little wonder he was nicknamed Cartman – the chunky character in the animated television series South Park – by some unimpressed colleagues.
The 34-year-old, a much leaner figure these days, admitted: “I’ve got a few more to lose. It’s difficult. Food around the house, I’m horrendous with it.
“The heaviest I got was obviously Knoxville a few years ago, I was 116kg there. But I’ve got myself down to 93-94. I’m getting there.”
His next big wish is to appear at the 2026 Australian Open – he was due to compete last January but Cameron Norrie withdrew from the doubles at short notice.
It is particularly poignant given that he was sent home as a junior by the LTA from the 2008 Australian Open for disciplinary reasons.
The final straw was when he missed the bus to a practice session and then arrived without his racquets, having left them at the hotel.
Willis said: “I’m sure there’ll be times in my career where things aren’t clicking, I’m not feeling great.
“But this week in New York is more evidence for me to stick at it. Because I love being here. I’ve got a great life, it’s wonderful.”
AlamyWillis is playing doubles at the US Open with Polish ace Karol Drzewiecki[/caption] Creator – [#item_custom_dc:creator]
