Son of Irishman James McCabe's Wimbledon journey comes to abrupt end
In a fairytale story, McCabe managed to qualify for the world's most recognisable tournament and largely has his father, Patrick McCabe from Walkinstown, Dublin, to thank.
Ranked 181st in the world, Fernandez McCabe grew up in Australia with his Irish father and Filipino mother Irene Fernandez and took a road less ventured in his tennis journey.
Speaking to RTE in the build-up to the tournament, Patrick revealed how he taught his son to play the game through YouTube videos as professional lessons were too costly.
"That is my childhood. Maybe it wasn't normal at the time," James said.
"It builds character and without it I wouldn't be where I am now. So I'm just grateful. I'm lucky."
Unfortunately for James, the Wimbledon journey was short-lived after being beaten in straight sets by Hungary's Fabian Marozsan.
It proved a tough first-round draw for McCabe with his opponent ranked 58th in the world. Played on Court 11, Marozan won the match 6-1, 6-4, 6-3 to book his place in the second round.
And although Ireland does not have a rich tennis history, McCabe does hold an Irish passport and is among the few who have graced the hallowed grounds to do so. The last Irish player representing the country to play in Wimbledon is Limerick's Conor Niland, who also lost in the first round in 2011. He would go on to win the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award for his autobiography The Racket.
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