Isle of Man tennis star Billy Harris returned home last week, savouring the rare opportunity to reconnect with his roots after a long stretch away.
Amidst cherished moments with family and the familiar sights of the island, he took a trip down memory lane, revisiting the very place where his journey to the world stage first began.
Billy began his tennis journey at just four years old at Castletown Lawn Tennis Club.
As he grew older and his passion for the sport deepened, he transitioned to Albany Lawn Tennis Club, known for its strong community and top-tier facilities.
With over 200 members ranging in age from 4 to 90, Albany stands out as the only club on the island with an indoor court, allowing tennis enthusiasts to play year-round, regardless of the weather.
And hundreds of junior members were delighted to see him on Monday evening where he made a special visit to the Ballaughton Meadows courts.
A place filled with memories from his early tennis days, he took the time to sign autographs and provide coaching tips to some of the island’s rising tennis talent.
Media Isle of Man spoke to him about his return to the Isle of Man, as well as playing at Wimbledon and warming up with the likes of Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic. He said: ‘It’s great to be home.
‘I haven’t been home for a while because obviously I’ve got a busy, busy schedule, playing much non-stop throughout the year.
‘So it’s great to have a few days back here, seeing everyone and taking in the Isle of Man.
‘It’s always nice to come back here.’
He may have lost in the first round of Wimbledon but Billy Harris is very much a winner in the eyes of the Manx public.
It has been quite the meteoric rise for the Manxman who has tasted success at a relatively late stage for a tennis player, aged 29. Harris, who was born in Nottingham but grew up in the Isle of Man, has spent a gruelling nine years travelling the circuit on the ITF World Tennis Tour.
It has not been such a glamorous tennis career for Harris who even spent time living in a van as he travelled from tournament to tournament.
And he admitted that in them years, there were times he wasn’t sure he’d make it to Wimbledon.
Harris had previous played in the qualifying rounds of Wimbledon, but had never progressed to the main draw until this year. He said: ‘I definitely dreamed of it [getting to the main draw of Wimbledon], but it’s a long road to get there.
‘I had a few years where I thought maybe it wouldn’t happen, where I was stuck at a ranking that I wouldn’t be able to reach Wimbledon.
‘The last few years I’ve been a lot better, and I managed to climb my way up!’
He told us how special it was to step on the court, especially seeing islanders in the crowd that had travelled to support him.
‘It was amazing to play there, to play the main draw for the first time was a great experience.
‘It’s always good to practice with the likes of Murray and Djokovic, you can always learn stuff off them guys every time you practice with them.
‘It’s strange after watching them for so many years on the TV to be now mixing with them in practice and off court.
‘Andy [Murray] is a nice guy off court, just a normal guy and I’ve played a lot of darts with him!’
‘I had a few Manx fans down there [at Wimbledon], as well as my family. It was a great atmosphere and I hope to be back again.’
When discussing his family, it's clear that the Harris clan is a remarkably athletic bunch, with each member achieving Island Games glory.
Brother Tom Harris captured a gold medal in golf at the Island Games in Jersey in 2015, while Billy Harris clinched gold in tennis at the same event.
Billy's success at the Games dates back even further; he won two gold medals in Bermuda in 2013.
Their brother, Joe Harris, continued the family tradition by winning gold in the javelin at the Island Games in Guernsey in 2023.
Meanwhile, their sister, Katie, claimed gold in the women’s team event at the Island Games in Gotland in 2017.
As you can imagine, mum and dad Abigail and Geoff are very proud.
His dad Geoff has remained as Billy’s coach throughout his career, despite having no coaching background.
Billy said: ‘He’s a good support on the road.
‘He got me into the sport when we moved to the Isle of Man at a very young age, and we started going around Castletown Tennis Club and Albany Tennis Club pretty much every day of the week. So it's good to have him still traveling with me and helping me.’