Marcus Willis

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Marcus Willis

ROSAMUND · Futures level

Bob in Spain wrote:
Rumours are that Marcus is guesting on Sue Barker's Wimbledon show at 8.00pm on BBC2 tonight. This tweet from Marcus suggests there may be some truth in that rumour.

twitter.com/Willbomb90/status/1278725240412135426

It was announced at the end of yesterdays show. We're getting different British players each day so plenty of variety.

ROSAMUND · Futures level

ROSAMUND wrote:
Bob in Spain wrote:
Rumours are that Marcus is guesting on Sue Barker's Wimbledon show at 8.00pm on BBC2 tonight. This tweet from Marcus suggests there may be some truth in that rumour.

twitter.com/Willbomb90/status/1278725240412135426
It was announced at the end of yesterdays show. We're getting different British players each day so plenty of variety.

Well it was announced at the end of yesterdays show. But he is not with Sue Barker as Annie K. and Andrew Castle are. There's no mention of him appearing in any highlights either. Disappointing if you were hoping to see him. Andy Murray is "zooming in " later.

ROSAMUND · Futures level

He's on at 8.45

ROSAMUND · Futures level

ROSAMUND wrote:
He's on at 8.45

Well he had his 5 minutes pre recorded at Wimbledon with Rishi Presad. Didn't get a mention in Sue Barkers intro.

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Marcus has now quit tennis and is working as a building labourer.

twitter.com/Mike_Dickson_DM/status/1367384105793519617

Madadman · Masters Series Champion

He has put out a short statement on his twitter as well.

twitter.com/willbomb90/status/1367373696642482176

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Bob in Spain wrote:
Marcus has now quit tennis and is working as a building labourer.

twitter.com/Mike_Dickson_DM/status/1367384105793519617

No real surprise but it raises a few good points - the security (relative) that having 20 or so ITF events in the UK with a bonus pool gave, which disappeared a few years ago, I really do think this is a big , big miss as we have discussed elsewhere on this forum

And, if someone like Marcus who presumably did ok from sponsors and the like , with the profile he gained, needs to end up as a building labourer, that is something the folks at the top need to think about. Although these are quite staged photos, whether that is his career choice or a little stage managed for the press, who know

ROSAMUND · Futures level

The full intervIew with Marcus is covered by Mike Dickson in the Daily Mail 4th March .

ROSAMUND · Futures level

Marcus had coverage for his 2016 Wimbledon on the Wimbledon shows Sue Barker hosted last year.

ROSAMUND · Futures level

In his interview Marcus makes the point that there was too much of putting you with a coach they (the LTA) decided on. There are world class coaches at the LTA and in the UK but it has to work with the player.

indiana · Tennis legend

Could/should have managed to do so very much more in the game with his talent and personality. Huge pity.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

ROSAMUND wrote:
In his interview Marcus makes the point that there was too much of putting you with a coach they (the LTA) decided on. There are world class coaches at the LTA and in the UK but it has to work with the player.

Most federations have the same problem. They have certain coaches on their payroll and you have to use them, or else what would they do???

Paying the players directly to fund their own choice of coach is more expensive, and loses all the collective benefits of a federation.

Big tennis playing countries (like France, say) have a benefit simply in that there are more coaches, coz more players, etc. and so the better players basically have a bigger choice of federation coaches. But quite a few still can't find one that gels.

And, yes, Indy - wish Marcus well and bet he has lots of good memories but he could have achieved so much more.

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

the thing he regrets most is never winning a British Tennis Active Board Player of the Month Award. It was in the Mike Dickson interview but they seem to have edited it out now...

At least I think he said that...

Madadman · Masters Series Champion

Understand Marcus' point re coaches the LTA assigned. Since I have been following the sport in more depth than just following the top level. There seems to be too many changes that no process is ever given a long enough time to see if it works.
However the ATP as well have made things a lot harder during that time. The ATP 250's qualifying draws that used to 32. This allowed players to 'give it a go' many players in the top 500 or so could get in to a few draws a year. The challenger circuit has been messed around a few times. They also use to have 32 qualifying draws and at one point dropping to 4 men draws. Reduced ATP points at ITF level, 10 points for an M15 win compared to 18 before that kerfuffle. There are not many M25s around or the Challenger 50's so there is a big gap between the M15's and when you get to Challenger 80 level. Considering you need to be at least top 500 if not top 400 to make a challenger qualifying draw a lot of times that's the equivalent of 10 M15 titles in ranking points. Arguably making it harder to rise the rankings means only the best reach the top which should be the case but does seem the ATP's attempt to reduce players chances of sneaking through have worked.

I'd be interested to see the potential growth of the UTR tournaments in coming years as they do appear to offer players a better chance of playing tennis/making money than the ATP circuit.