ATP Tour

Inside World No. 733 Tarvet's incredible journey to a showdown with Alcaraz at Wimbledon

Less than three weeks ago, Oliver Tarvet did not have a wild card into Wimbledon qualifying. Now the 21-year-old is preparing to take on two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz on Centre Court in the second round of the main draw.

It is similar to the storybook run of Marcus Willis, who was No. 772 in the PIF ATP Rankings in 2016 when he faced Roger Federer in the second round of the Wimbledon main draw after advancing through pre-qualifying. A big difference is that World No. 733 Tarvet flew across the world without knowing he would have a qualifying spot.

The Briton, who plays college tennis for the University of San Diego, competed in back-to-back ITF World Tennis Tour events in San Diego the first two weeks of June. After playing nine singles matches in the California heat — including a title campaign in the first event — Tarvet retired during the semi-finals of the second tournament, totally wiped out physically and mentally from a huge effort.

During the second event Ryan Keckley, the head coach at the University of San Diego, received word from Mark Hilton, a national coach for the Lawn Tennis Association, that Tarvet was under consideration for a qualifying wild card. There was no guarantee, but after the semi-finals, Keckley informed his player that he had a chance to receive a qualifying wild card and that they would need to get plans into motion in the hopes of that possibility becoming a reality.

“We pretty much pulled him into the locker room and said, ‘Hey, you’ve got an opportunity here. We’ve got to go try to make the most of it’,” Keckley told ATPTour.com. “So he jumped on a plane the next day.”

That gave Tarvet less than a week to travel eight time zones and adjust not only to the big time difference, but from hard court to grass, for one of the most prestigious sporting events on the planet.

“He only really had six days of preparation on the grass before one of the biggest moments of his life,” Keckley said. “And then the next day was the biggest moment, and then the next day was the biggest moment. He's just risen to the occasion every opportunity and chance he's gotten.”

In the 11 sets Tarvet has played since beginning his qualifying run, the home favourite has lost just one. Before last week Tarvet had never faced an opponent ranked higher than World No. 367 in a professional match, and now he has the opportunity to take on a five-time major champion.

“He's done it with a lot of hard work. He's not afraid of work, and he's always prioritised his tennis over any kind of academic priorities that he might have,” Keckley said. “He's not a guy that ever skips a day. So when you put that many consecutive days of healthy practices, thoughtful, mindful practices, and you have some of the skill sets that Ollie does, good things are bound to happen.”

Tarvet, who is entering his senior season at USD, made an immediate impact on his head coach three years ago. The Briton’s work ethic has shone through consistently during his time as a Torero.

“[Juniors] go to college tennis and everyone says they want to be a pro and quite frankly, very few are willing to do what it takes to become a pro. And Ollie was different in that regard,” Keckley said. “He texted me at 8 p.m. on a Tuesday and maybe some other college students would be at the library, some would be at the bars or socialising. He was underneath the lights hitting forehands with another player and it wasn't just a one-time thing. It was continuous.”

That dedication has helped Tarvet become a multiple-time qualifier for the ATP Next Gen Accelerator, which was created to increase the development pathway for top players in the American collegiate system by providing direct entry into ATP Challenger Tour events. The 21-year-old’s plan is to take the fall off from school to make use of those entries before returning to school in the spring.

Tarvet has not lost an official completed singles match in college or the pros since November, a stretch during which he has won 31 consecutive completed matches.

“His confidence is at an all-time high,” Keckley said. “So you're taking a very confident kid who believes in himself, believes in the work that he's put in, has an extremely high tennis IQ and you're putting him in an opportunity to win in an uncomfortable environment… He gets comfortable in the uncomfortable. He buys into the mentality.”

^{Keckley (right, gray shirt) celebrates Tarvet's first-round win. Photo: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images.}
Keckley is not someone who cries, but when Tarvet defeated fellow qualifier Leandro Riedi on Monday in the first round of the main draw, the coach was emotional, full of pride for someone he watched make a dream come true.

“That moment, I'll never forget it because he just comes over and he gives you the biggest, sloppiest, wettest hug possible and you are just embracing every second of it because he's just made a name for himself,” Keckley said. “Not only in the United States, because he had a name for himself in the U.S college system, but in the LTA and worldwide.”

There is no doubt that there is a huge gap between the experience Alcaraz and Tarvet will walk on Centre Court with Wednesday. But according to Keckley, his charge is someone who “eats and breathes and loves tennis”, and handles big moments “exceptionally”.

“We’ve got to first focus on our side of the net, focusing on what makes Ollie special, and he's very special. [it is about] getting his mind right and staying within what he is capable of doing, and then the rest is adjustments along the way,” Keckley said. “But he is a very capable tennis player and every challenge that has been put in front of him, he's matched and risen to the occasion.

“So tomorrow we're going to go out there and the lines are the same, the balls are the same. The surface is a little different from San Diego, but we're going to focus on our side of the net.”