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Daily Mail
25 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Oliver Tarvet is a tennis rarity who can't collect his £99,000 Wimbledon prize money - the world No 733 grew up idolising Rafael Nadal and will now follow in his footsteps in playing on Centre Court in Carlos Alcaraz clash
On the brink of receiving almost unfathomable prize money, Oliver Tarvet has been feverishly working out ways to spend it. But not, perhaps, with the motivation you might assume. 'By December, I need to show that, like, profit or prize money minus expenses equals less than $10,000,' The world No 733 told reporters after his dreamlike win against Leandro Riedi. 'I don't know how much I made. I think I made, like, it's £99,000 or £100,000. 'Obviously, that's before tax. I've got to find £60,000, £70,000 of expenses, which tennis is an expensive sport. So, hopefully, I can make that happen. 'Just pay my coaches a little bit extra. I don't know. We'll figure something out. Fly business class,' the 21-year-old joked. Tarvet's position is unique because the St Albans-born player is a rarity in the modern game - a college athlete, and a non-professional. While he can make money through name, image, and likeness rights (NIL), and is sponsored this week by ClearPay and TK Maxx, due to NCAA regulations, athletes' prize money is strictly monitored; hence the race to make sure every necessary penny is accounted for. There has been no question of abandoning the collegiate system for full-time professional life - Tarvet attends the University of San Diego, and is keen to follow the example of a number of British tennis players with similar journeys, such as Cam Norrie and doubles specialist Neal Skupski. 'I was a little bit immature when I was 18, I was not ready to be independent of for the loneliness of the tour,' Tarvet said of his decision to join the US college system. 'It's a really good option to help you mature and develop your game.' And mature Tarvet has, parlaying his Wimbledon qualification wildcard into a run through the draw in Roehampton, supported by his USD coaches Ryan Keckley and Alex Funkhouser. On Wednesday, he will play on the biggest stage of all as he steps onto Centre Court to face two-time champion Carlos Alcaraz. The All England Club's main show court is a long way from Hertfordshire's Batchwood Tennis Academy, where Tarvet received training as a talented 10-year-old who idolised Rafael Nadal. But a number of characters from Tarvet's past came out of the woodwork for his first-round match against Riedi on Monday. 'Today was pretty funny because I would hear this voice that would be familiar,' Tarvet admitted. 'I'd quickly give a glance. It would be my old coach when I was 10 or 11 or my old friend when I was just young - an old player that I played when I was a little kid. 'It was nice kind of seeing these familiar faces, them coming out to support me. Obviously, gave me a lot of energy, a lot of motivation to go out there and win.' Primary among them were those of closest to him: his parents, Garry and Jennifer, who he has described as his 'heroes', and his girlfriend of just over one year, USD student Helaena Staebler. Tarvet's mother swept her son up in a sweaty hug moments after he came off court, before he gave his girlfriend a kiss. Staebler, a biology major to Tarvet's communications major, told the Mirror that the win had left her in 'complete shock'. 'I have no words, I haven't even been able to process this just now,' Staebler said. 'It's going to be amazing, I'm very excited, I'm sure he's very excited as well.' The couple celebrated their first anniversary at the end of June, and Staebler has praised her boyfriend's 'communication skills' for being the key to their successful relationship. Tavert, she believes, can beat Alcaraz, with Staebler adding: 'I've always believed in him – it's just what you've got to do. He has a really good mindset.' His mother is an education worker, who was given a special day off on Monday to watch her son take to the grass court in SW19, but remains assured that she will get one on Wednesday as Tarvet takes to Centre Court after putting through the request in the wake of his win. While not as bullish as his son or his girlfriend, Jennifer was hopeful on Monday afternoon that Tarvet could 'give (Alcaraz) a game'. Garry added that he believes his son will treat facing Alcaraz like it was 'just another tennis match'. Jennifer and Garry have been extremely supportive of their son's career, first ensuring that he could receive home-schooling for his A-Levels during his stint training at Unique Tennis London, and now during his college career. Garry is a particular cheerleader, devoting his Instagram page to his son's achievements in the West Coast Conference and travelling to events like Monastir in June 2023 to watch his son win his first pro-tour title. The support of his father Garry has been invaluable, with Tarvet Sr travelling to support him as he won his first title in July 2023 While the events Tarvet has been playing are some way off the level of the main ATP Tour, the student has picked up a slew of college titles including the 2024 and 2025 WCC Player of the Year, and five ITF titles, as well as qualifying multiple times for the ATP Next Gen Accelerator programme. The No 1 court at his college is his favourite, and the one that he will seek to turn Centre Court into on Wednesday, with the screams of 'come on!' and, more unusually, 'Gareth!' that have become recognisable to those who began following him last week. Tarvet has been secretive about the origins of the cheer, which is shouted down from his coaches' position too, but has revealed that it refers to former Real Madrid star Gareth Bale - something which Madridista Alcaraz may find alternatively comfortable and disconcerting. Considering that Tarvet is an avowed Liverpool fan, it must be quiet the in-joke. Another ritual of Tarvet's is his preference for journaling on-court, something that he has stressed settles his pre-match nerves. 'It's a thing that I enjoy doing,' Tarvet confessed. 'You can maybe see on the court I bring, like, a little notepad and I write just things that allow me, as I said, to focus on what makes me good, gives me success in the process. 'I feel like a thing that gives me comfort a lot is focusing on those things and the outcome will take care of itself.' One imagines it will take a number of pages to vent his emotions ahead of a showdown with Alcaraz, fresh from wins at Roland-Garros and Queen's. He will look to harness the element of surprise against the two-time Wimbledon champion But while the difference between their rankings is chasm of Grand Canyon-like proportions, one advantage that Tarvet will have over Alcaraz is the element of surprise. The former champion has hours of footage for Tarvet to analyse his grass-game, while Alcaraz will have to make do with a handful of qualifying rounds. Although, it may not stay that way for long. 'He was a wall. A huge wall,' His opponent Riedi said after the match. 'He moved unbelievable on grass. He was sliding everywhere. 'The passing shot he was producing was mind-blowing. Served pretty well. He was a clutch player today. If he can continue like this, you're going to hear a lot (about) him.'
Daily Mirror
25 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Woman queues for Wimbledon to see if it's 'worth it' but is floored by reality
A woman shared a video of herself at the Wimbledon queue to show people what it's like, but she said there's one thing people need to know about trying to get tickets As Wimbledon fever grips the nation, many British sports enthusiasts are eager to catch a glimpse of the live action, with thousands joining the queue for tickets. This week, one woman's attempt to join the throng at the prestigious tennis tournament left her utterly gobsmacked. The Wimbledon fan, who goes by the username disorderella on TikTok, recounted her "unlucky" experience in the queue and made an eye-opening discovery about the system. It seems she was unaware of the challenges involved in securing a place at the celebrated summer event. In a video overlay, she lamented: "Didn't get into Wimbledon today. Closed the queue and told everyone to go home at 7.30pm. "I only waited for 1.5 hours and it was a dreadful experience. Don't recommend it to anyone. Will only go when I have a ticket from now on." Since posting the clip, her comments section has been full of reactions and inquiries from curious viewers. Many were keen to understand her strategy. One user queried: "What time did you start queuing at?" She responded that she joined the line between "Around 5.30pm to 6pm", which others pointed out was rather late. Despite this setback, she mentioned that in previous years, her timing had been successful, clarifying: "Just to clarify, they turned down people who had been queuing hours after me. So, I would say, queuing after 2pm to 3pm is pointless." Responding to the chaos, a punter revealed: "Oh, I see. I went today, but we queued at 8am and got in at 3pm." Another chimed in with: "It's been like this for some time now. You should never even bother without a ticket - not worth your time or effort, especially in this heat." For those unfamiliar with the queuing protocol, there are specific regulations for those lacking tickets. On Wednesday, July 2, Wimbledon officials felt compelled to discourage hopeful spectators from joining the queues. The official site cautioned: "Please be aware that the queue for day three - Wednesday, July 2 - is very busy and to avoid disappointment we strongly advise you not to travel to the grounds today." Further guidance on queue procedures notes: "Wimbledon remains one of the very few major sporting events where you can buy premium tickets on the day of play. Each day a large queue forms to buy either one of the limited show court tickets available, or a grounds ticket. "Tickets are sold on a best available, one per person queuing basis and are non-transferable. The queue often starts the evening before and increases very early in the morning. "Please bear in mind that we have a grounds capacity limit and once this is reached, entry may only be possible as people leave the grounds for the day. Please don't travel to the grounds without first checking the queue status on Wimbledon is stepping up its game to enhance the spectator experience by urging fans to download the Wimbledon app and set up a myWIMBLEDON account prior to attending this year's event. Upon arrival, attendees will receive a queue card and be "checked in" to the queue by a steward through the Wimbledon App. Ticket sales for early birds at the front of the queue will commence before the grounds open in the morning. Those lucky enough to snag tickets will be welcomed into the Queue Village to wait until the grounds officially open at 10am.
Daily Mirror
28 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Exact Wimbledon dress code rules for players - and why women had to go braless
The All England Lawn Tennis Club hosts one of the world's most prestigious tournaments and sometimes the players that compete in it have fallen foul of its strict guidelines Wimbledon is in full swing, with the top tier tournament known for its strawberries and cream, the Royal Box and tennis whites. The contest's dress code regulations date back to the 1880s, with the strictly white outfits intended to minimise the visibility of sweat marks. Controversy occurred in 2014, when female players were reportedly instructed to discard bras that violated the strict dress code. Wimbledon 's rules stated that any visible undergarments must be entirely white, with just a single trim of colour no broader than one centimetre allowed. Several female players that year were said to have been asked to remove bras that didn't meet the strict guidelines. During her second-round match against Caroline Wozniacki, Great Britain's Naomi Broady was reportedly without a bra - although it wasn't clear whether she had been asked to remove it. In 2017, Venus Williams seemed to swap her bright-pink bra when her match was interrupted by rain, refusing to discuss what happened afterwards. Pat Cash, the 1987 Wimbledon men's champion, wasn't impressed. "Some of the girls have been told to go back and change their bras and tops because they had slight colour on them," he said. "I believe some of the girls didn't have suitable sports bras and had to go without them. It has absolutely gone ridiculous." The veteran champ revealed it wasn't just women who could fall foul of the dress code - men also had to ensure their underwear was white. "One of the players was called into the referees' office because he had blue underwear that showed through when he got sweaty," said Pat. "So he was told not to wear dark underwear." As well as a backlash from players and commentators, a protest group was formed called Address The Dress Code, voicing worries about female players who are menstruating. And in 2022, Wimbledon relaxed its rules to allow women to wear dark-coloured undershorts. Solid, mid or dark-coloured undershorts were allowed as long as they weren't longer than the skirts or shorts worn over them. Sally Bolton, the All England Lawn Tennis Club's chief executive, said the move was intended to alleviate "a potential source of anxiety". "We are committed to supporting the players and listening to their feedback as to how they can perform at their best," she added. "It is our hope that this rule adjustment will help players focus purely on their performance." This year, the 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu sparked controversy when she "rocked up in a pink outfit" for a practice training session at Wimbledon, the Daily Mail reports. The All England Club rules state players must wear "suitable tennis attire that is almost entirely white" while on the courts. Other stars falling foul of the dress code include Aussie bad boy Nick Kyrgios, who arrived on court in a pair of red Nike Jordan shoes and matching cap in 2022 before changing into white attire. And Wimbledon legend Roger Federer was once told off for wearing orange-soled shoes.
