Journeyman tennis player Billy Harris goes from van life to mapping his Wimbledon debut
LONDON (AP) — Billy Harris couldn’t pull off the upset at Queen’s Club. He’s still winning, though.
Harris earned about $153,000 for reaching the quarterfinals on Friday. He’ll pick up about $76,000 when he makes his Wimbledon singles debut.
Not bad for a guy who drove around Europe in a van — sometimes sleeping in it — to save money while playing in lower-tier tournaments earlier in his career.
The 29-year-old British player’s total career earnings until now had been $293,791, according to the ATP.
Harris’ run at Queen’s Club came to an end against Lorenzo Musetti by 6-3, 7-5.
Despite the loss, Harris will move into the top 150 in next week’s rankings. He’s currently 162nd, a career high.
He received a wild-card entry for Wimbledon this week.
The extra cash, Harris said, will “definitely help” and, who knows, he might even invest in another van. The 6-foot-4 (1.93-meter) Harris drives a Mini Cooper.
“It’s a bit tight. I get in and out of a van a bit easier.”
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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis