WIMBLEDON wildcard Ryan Peniston won his first Grand Slam match in straight sets — and thanked a battle with cancer for helping him excel.
Essex lad Ryan, 26 — who was trained by his former loco driver dad, Paul, 66 — said chemotherapy treatment for tumours he had as a tot stunted his growth so when he came to play tennis he had to work harder to achieve his goals.
Wimbledon wildcard Ryan Peniston won his first Grand Slam match in straight sets — and thanked a battle with cancer for helping him excel
Ryan, who beat Swiss star Henri Laaksonen, said his cancer was a “blessing in disguise” because it made him “tougher as a player and a person”.
He said: “It definitely affected my growth. I was a really late bloomer. 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.”
Ryan was coached by his dad, a former train driver from Southend, until 18 months ago.
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Ryan was also cheered on by his mum Penny, 66, brother Sam, 31, his cousins Nick, 18, and Nicole, 46, and family friend John, 66.
His mum, who is a nurse, added: “I think it’s important for everyone, whatever you do career wise, if you have a good family support.
“And, obviously, the background that I come from, family’s important.”
