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 taking on his mental health.
In 2020, he worked for his cousin’s bricklaying business to earn money during the coronavirus pandemic.
“That was nice, it was freeing. Some of the conversations are interesting,” Willis recalled.
“What I loved about it was how whenever the clock hits 12pm or 12:30pm, you’re stopping for a tea and your lunch. It’s religious. They stop on the dot.
“It was an incredible experience. But you wouldn’t want me trying to build your house, let’s put it that way. I was just trying to earn some money and spend time with my cousin.”
A couple of years later, Willis was back on the court. He was playing exhibition events when a family friend offered to finance a professional comeback.
“People say ‘you’re still good’, but you know the reality of becoming a player,” Willis said.
“It’s not just being good. It’s having the money, it’s staying injury-free, it’s travelling the world, not seeing your kids grow up properly. That’s what people don’t understand sometimes.
“I hadn’t thought about it. I went home and saw my wife [Jenny] – she was more keen than I was at the time.
“She said go and do it, you get one chance. And now here I am.”
