Irish father's pride at son's Wimbledon debut

RTÉ News​

7 hours ago

An Irish father has told RTÉ of his excitement ahead of his son's Wimbledon debut.
In 1987, when he was 22-years-old, Patrick McCabe moved to Austrlia with his brother where he worked as a labourer for "18 odd years".
His son is just a year younger than he was then, and James Fernandez McCabe will play the iconic tennis tournament tomorrow.
Patrick is originally from Greenhills, Walkinstown in Dublin and married Irene, originally from the Philippines.
The couple also have a daughter, Jasmin "who is looking for an Irish passport", now that James has his, her dad said.
Patrick trained his son using YouTube, as he did not have much money.
Professional lessons were not an option as they were "reall, really, really expensive," he told RTÉ Radio's Oliver Callan.
When James was "two or three", his father brought him down to a tennis court at the complex where they were renting in Rockdale near Sydney Airport.
They they still go there to this day, Patrick said.
"I got carried away early days," he conceded. "I was probably a bit hard on him... but you do what you have to do."
He taught James to swim also, and the boy went on to become "national champion in both swimming and tennis".
Patrick "started travelling with James for the last three years on the professional circuits", he said.
'I'm just grateful'
James said he is "excited, grateful" and "it's a dream come through playing Wimbledon".
But having the privilege to take the champions' tour - and see where his heros have gone before him - was a bit "overwhelming" and gave him "goosebumps".
The 21-year-old spoke of his unusual upbringing.
"That is my childhood. Maybe it wasn't normal at the time."
"It builds character and without it I wouldn't be where I am now. So I'm just grateful. I'm lucky."
He said as a child he used to get up around 4am, and start swimming training at 5am.
At 7.30am he moved onto his music practice, which could be playing in an orchestra or marching band.
He had a music lessons during breaks in his school day, and again after school.
It was midnight before when he got to sleep - and that was his routine when he had "dropped the rackets", meaning when he had taken a break from tennis, from age 12 to 15.
James is pitch perfect, plays piano, flute and guitar.
Asked how he intends to approach the tournament, James said he plans to take one match at a time, as "it's every tennis players dream", and is also his father's dream, just to participate.
He has three aunties in Ireland, one in Saggart, one in Blessington and one in Mullingar, and another Irish aunty in Sydney.
He has been to Ireland four times.