Ryan Peniston
Ryan Peniston defeated Henri Laaksonen 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 in the first round of Wimbledon 2022
Ryan Peniston enjoyed a dream Wimbledon debut on Court 12 in front of a packed crowd. The British Wildcard entrant registered a comprehensive straight victory against Switzerland’s Henri Laaksonen. Peniston will face America’s Steve Johnson in the next round.
Peniston, who overcame rare cancer as a baby which affected his growth as a teenager, is hoping his opening Wimbledon win can inspire other youngsters suffering from the same experience.
Speaking after the match, Peniston said – “To be honest, I was chatting with my coach, Mark Taylor, yesterday and I was kind of saying I’m waiting for someone to pinch me and wake up back in May sometime. I’m just loving every second of it, to be honest.”
Ryan Peniston endured cancer at the age of one, spending eight months in hospital while undergoing surgery and two gruelling rounds of chemotherapy. But, the 26-year-old continued to defy the odds after sailing through to the second round of the championships on his debut.
After his win in the first round, Peniston revealed how having cancer as a baby had had a huge impact on him personally and on his career.
“It definitely affected my growth. I was a really late bloomer. I didn’t start growing until 15, 16. I was always about a foot smaller than all my peers. They all were growing and getting bigger serves and everything. I was struggling just trying to run around and get the balls”, said Peniston, recollecting his troubles as an adolescent.
He further added, “It’s such a terrible thing to go through, especially for my family, my close friends. But, it gives me so much strength. I’ve had some really, really nice messages from some foundations and people as well, like families that have gone through similar stuff. It’s really special to receive those kind of messages. It puts everything into perspective really.”
Peniston’s story is indeed inspiring and we definitely wish for his success in his upcoming endeavours.
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