Wimbledon is one of tennis’ most famed venues, acting as the holy grail for many players.
This is the prize that every young tennis star dreams of attaining, and to claim it cements your place in history forever.
However, you do not need to lift the title to become a hero at the All-England Club, with the British crowd are partial to an underdog.
As such, there are more than enough players who have outperformed their abilities and enjoyed fairytale runs, garnering home support along the way.
And yet, they all pale in comparison to Marcus Willis’ 2016 venture to the second round, though.
Marcus Willis: the 2016 British fairytale at Wimbledon
Heading into the 2016 edition of Wimbledon, Willis was actually planning to retire from professional tennis.
Coaching at the Warwick Boat Club, an opportunity to take that role to America beckoned. Alas, his girlfriend insisted that he give the sport one final chance, prompting him to begin the arduous qualifying journey.
Ranked 772nd in the world, Willis came from a set down to beat Yuichi Sugita in round one before then overcoming youngsters Andrey Rublev and Daniil Medvedev to cement his spot in the main draw.
He wasn’t finished there though, winning his first-round match against Ricardas Berankis to set up a clash with Roger Federer, of all people.
Facing last year’s finalist, Willis had booked his place on centre court, with the result of little importance at this point.
Of course, he didn’t win, but departed the All-England Club having captured the imagination of the fans and pocketed a cheque for over £50,000.
What did Roger Federer say about Marcus Willis?
Even before their second-round match, Federer was enamoured with Willis’ story, and would say as much in the run-up to their meeting.
He admitted: ‘I’m not sure I’ve played someone this low in the rankings. I followed it before I even saw him in my section of the draw.
‘It’s one of the best stories in a long time in our sport. This is the kind of story we need. I’m very excited to be playing him, actually.’
The eight-time Wimbledon champion admitted that he loved everything about Willis’ story: his game, the support it garnered and the fairytale nature of it all.
After all, how many players can say they went from nearly quitting to playing one of the greatest players of all time in the space of a month?
Carlos Alcaraz is hoping to close the gap on Federer’s Wimbledon record this year with another title, but the Swiss superstar’s legacy will always remain intact.
It’s fair to say that we will likely not get another run like Willis’ anytime soon.
