'My coach needs accommodation': Penney's first Grand Slam match-win
A dream come true and a moment that will last forever is how Great Britain’s Andrew Penney described the monumental achievement of winning the first Grand Slam match he has contested in his career.
Penney, who is ranked No. 20 in the UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Tour Rankings, dispatched Dutchman Maarten Ter Hofte 6-3 6-4 to take his place in the last eight of the men’s Wheelchair Championships at Wimbledon.
The 21-year-old will face Martin de la Puente of Spain in Thursday’s quarter-final but not before teaming up tomorrow with Israel’s Sergei Lysov for a doubles showdown with Tokito Oda of Japan and Argentina’s Gustavo Fernandez.
For now, however, Penney can deservedly revel in the spoils of victory with a maiden Grand Slam match-win a significant staging post in any player’s career and within any individual’s personal journey.
“I cannot quite believe it,” said Penney. “With it being my first match at a Grand Slam, I did not know what to expect. Typically, there is a lot of pressure in such a moment, whether put on by yourself or others, but strangely I felt very relaxed.
“It was an incredible experience. Playing on the courts of Wimbledon, it is probably the most prestigious event in the world, so to get to play a match on those courts, let alone win, is a dream come true. It is also a memory that will last forever.
“This was a great opportunity for me to see where I stack up against the guys who play all the Grand Slams. The next stage of my journey is to qualify directly for the Grand Slams. This is the first step in doing so.
“Considering I only started playing the sport of wheelchair tennis seven years ago, I am really pleased with what I have achieved and hopefully this is the start of the next chapter of my story.”
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World Tennis is committed to delivering a global pathway so talent can rise and players, regardless of background, can achieve their dreams. Penney is doing exactly that – chasing his dreams – and progressing on World Tennis’s UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Tour.
He recently played against world No. 1 Oda at the Lexus British Open Roehampton, while he faced off with fellow Briton Alfie Hewett in an exhibition match at Queen’s to mark the 50th anniversary of wheelchair tennis.
“That definitely prepared me well,” Penney added. “I was creating opportunities against those guys, and I knew if I was doing it against them, I could do it against the guys beneath them. I knew I could be competitive against them.
“In terms of my wider journey, this all means so much because it is the next stepping stone for me. At first it was about the experience, but now I hope this can be more impactful.
“Getting over the line was a huge relief because of what it means. Only people who know me well know what I am going through and feeling right now. It does feel like a massive achievement.”
Penney began using a wheelchair after suffering severe neurological and physiological complications following what was supposed to be a routine and minor operation to remove two ingrowing toenails in October 2018.
Neurological trauma meant he completely forgot how to walk, talk, read and write and over the ensuing years he was forced to entirely relearn these skills from scratch while using a wheelchair for permanent mobility.
“I have been through a lot on my journey,” said Penney. “Memory loss, losing the ability to walk – I have come so far. My journey stretches back far beyond that but I have had experiences and challenges that many people would struggle with.
“I have been told that I didn’t have a place in this sport, told to look for a different sport and told I was not good enough. This is an example of me silencing my doubters. I have performed at my best in one of my biggest matches in one of the biggest settings.”
There is only one problem to solve now. “I need to sort my coach’s accommodation out because it was only booked until tomorrow.”