Lobbing Federer changed his life – the cult hero back at Wimbledon

Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Marcus Willis' remarkable Wimbledon 2016 run came to an end with a 6-0 6-3 6-4 defeat by seven-time champion Roger Federer By Jonathan Jurejko BBC Sport tennis news reporter at Wimbledon Published 5 minutes ago Marcus Willis is not one for revelling in nostalgia. But given the 35-year-old Briton is best known for lobbing Roger Federer on Centre Court, he knows his 2016 Wimbledon exploits will follow him for the rest of his life. Ten years ago, Willis endeared himself to the nation with a heart-warming run from qualifying to a second-round tie against one of the greatest players of all time. While the world number 772 lost 6-0 6-3 6-4, he won the BBC's Shot of the Tournament for picking off Federer with a delicious shot, and ensured he would forever be a Wimbledon cult hero. "People say, did you enjoy every moment? No, I was playing a tennis match. It's not always fun," Willis, who begins his Wimbledon men's doubles campaign on Wednesday, told BBC Sport. "I'm very grateful for the chance to have been on Centre Court - that's wild - but I wanted to win on Centre Court. "It's strange looking back because it feels like another lifetime." Federer was a multi-millionaire icon. Willis had earned £220 that year and had to be persuaded by his girlfriend to keep playing professionally. Federer treated his body as a temple. Willis called himself 'Cartman' after the South Park character before cutting out booze and junk food. The Swiss superstar had the 'Fed Heads' supporting him. The British outsider had the 'Willbombers' in his corner. It was a contrasting and colourful match-up which led to Willis becoming a national icon - at least for a couple of weeks. Worlds collide as Willis meets Federer Published 29 June 2016 Poor Wimbledon performance prompts yet another British inquest Published 7 hours ago From retirement fears to triumphant Wimbledon return for GB's Swan Published 13 hours ago The morning after losing to Federer, an aching Willis limped to the shower at 4:30am to get ready for an interview on ITV's Good Morning Britain. More appearances on national television followed, plus countless interview requests. Then things slowed down. "It was life-changing in the short term. But you know how fickle everything is," Willis said. "You have your phone blowing up and loads of opportunities, then it moves on to someone else. "You have to ride with it, but you learn a lot. Looking back now, I'm a lot more closed off." Willis says his career will inevitably be defined by the Federer experience, but insists his life is not. And, given his extraordinary journey, it is easy to understand why. Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Willis captured the imagination of Wimbledon fans in 2016, beating future top-10 players Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev in qualifying Willis almost left the sport a few months before he played 20-time major champion Federer. He did quit in 2018 due to injuries and the toll they were taki