Willis: ‘Not My Standard Wednesday’

Years from now, when his grandchildren hop on his lap and ask Marcus Willis to tell them about that time he played Roger Federer at Wimbledon, Willis likely won’t know where to start.

He could talk about the packed crowd that overwhelmingly supported him on Centre Court instead of the seven-time Wimbledon champion. Willis could explain how he eventually worked his way into the match, challenging Federer in the third set.

But on Wednesday, hours after his dream run ended, two particular moments stood out. “I played a good point where I lobbed him. I can say I lobbed Roger Federer,” Willis said.

The other, as he prepared to serve against the all-time great. “I bounced the ball and saw Roger Federer and thought, ‘Oh, haven’t seen this before’.”

The 25 year old Brit will have stories for decades about his match against Federer and the past week, and he made sure to enjoy it all. Willis couldn’t stop smiling during warm-ups. Throughout the match, he lifted his arms to enliven the crowd. He even laughed off the loss while discussing it with reporters.

“It was all just a blur. It was amazing. I did enjoy myself even though I was getting duffed up. I loved every bit of it. Not the duffing bit. I loved getting stuck in, fighting hard,” he said. “The whole experience was incredible.”

On a regular Wednesday, the Warwick Boat Club tennis coach might scowl at his alarm, train for a couple hours, enjoy a cup of tea and teach tennis for about four hours.

“Not my standard Wednesday,” Willis said. “Next Wednesday might be quite different.”

His future plans also might change after his seven-match winning streak landed him on Centre Court. Willis, who had said he planned to go full-time on the tour in January, might alter those plans.

“I think it will change a little bit, but I still want to keep my head down and keep carrying on to enjoy it. I’m all ears to wild cards, too, to big events obviously. I’m joking,” he said, smiling. “I will play some. I will keep training as I have been. I’ve been training and playing a lot. That’s not going to change. I think I have time to hit my peak in a few years.”

Willis, a top junior who lacked the drive earlier in his career, is only 25 in an era of tennis that sees players regularly extend their careers into their mid-30s. A Wimbledon record 49 players aged 30 or over were in this year’s main draw.

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“I want to be here. This is where I want to play tennis. I’m good enough,” Willis said. “I have a lot to work on, a lot to improve… If I have a lot to work on and improve, then it can be exciting.”

His personal life also might be changing in the near future. Months ago, Willis was thinking about taking a coaching job in Philadelphia. But his girlfriend Jennifer Bate encouraged him to keep playing rather than to look seriously at the gig. “Don’t go. Don’t go,” she told him.

On Wednesday, Willis was asked when he was going to get married. “I haven’t thought, to be honest. This whole few weeks has been a blur. Yeah, I do like her quite a bit,” he said.

The feeling has been mutual from Bate, the All England Club and the tennis world.

Watch Willis vs. Federer highlights (not available in UK, USA, South America, Germany, Austria, Italy, Spain and Australia)