Liam Broady celebrated the biggest payday of his career - then revealed the personal cost of fulfilling a lifelong dream.
The Stockport star had Centre Court rocking as he upset world number four Casper Ruud in a five-set thriller.
It brought a cheque for £131,000 and the promise of greater riches should he maintain his form today against Denis Shapovalov.
“Not bad for a day's work,” he smiled. “But I don't have a car, I don't take holidays, I don't have a house. I’ve not had a life.”
Broady had just come from two sets to one down to beat the Norwegian “beast” he compared beforehand to Erling Haaland of his beloved Man City.
Having taken the first set 6-4 he had rallied from losing the next two 3-6 4-6 to blow Ruud away 6-3 6-0. The same Ruud who reached three of the previous five Grand Slam finals.
It was epic stuff from a 29-year old who had doubted he would ever deliver on tennis’ biggest stage.
“It’s a dream,” he said. “Because I was a very good junior, I got to No. 2 in the world, played on Court 1 in the finals of the Juniors, was a set and a break up and completely choked it - completely guffed it.
“That has kind of haunted me my entire career, to be honest. It was one of the reasons it took me so long to win a Challenger (Tour event). I lost seven finals in a row.
“It always bothered me coming back and playing on the bigger courts, never really feeling I was comfortable and had performed.
“It's taken a monumental effort for me personally to be able to win a match on Centre Court at Wimbledon.”
The ever-popular Broady was never going to respond by simply moving onto the next challenge, in the way so many pro sports people do these days. This was too big a moment not to properly acknowledge.
So he sat and chatted and let it be known that a career in tennis is not as glamorous as it might appear.
“I wasn't clearing a lot of money after tax last year, believe it or not,” he said. “The expenses in tennis are the highest among any sport that I know of. So, to be honest, this enables me to reinvest in myself and put a little bit away.
“You see so many players that end up having had better careers than myself but with nothing. I'm very wary. I don't want to end up like that.
“I don't want to be working till I'm 70 years old, especially when I've sacrificed the first 25 out of 29 years of my life for the sport of tennis. I want to be able to see something for that sacrifice.
“To be able to support my family in any way I can if the opportunity is there and it's needed. I want to not have to worry for the rest of my life.”
Broady arrived in SW19 telling his mum to chill out and enjoy the occasion as he had already pocketed 80 grand.
Two sets into the three-and-a-half-hour marathon she left.
Fortunately, her son hung around. And how.
