Having fought cancer at the age of only one, Wimbledon wildcard Ryan Peniston is no stranger to adversity.
After his parents found a lump on his thumb, rhabdomyosarcoma – a rare cancer which forms in soft tissue – was diagnosed,
Surgery and two bouts of chemotherapy followed before Peniston was given the all-clear 18 months later.
The 26-year-old, from Great Wakering, Essex, fulfils a dream today with his Wimbledon singles debut against Switzerland's Henri Laaksonen.
He said overcoming cancer can help him on court as it 'gives me a lot of strength. It was a really tough time in my life, and especially for my parents and brothers.
'It made us closer as a family and it is something I think about when I have bad times. It puts things into perspective when playing tennis.
'Tennis is a very mentally tough game so overall it has given me a lot of mental resilience, and I definitely try and use it on the court'.
The family's experience has led them to work in the NHS at Southend Hospital.
Mother Penny, 66, is a ward manager, brother Sam, 31, is a paediatric nurse and other brother Harry, 28, is a junior doctor. Father Paul, 66, bucks the trend as a retired train driver.
Peniston believes his treatment, which left 'a large scar' across his abdomen, also affected his tennis career as his growth was stunted until he was about 16.
He said: 'I had scans and they (doctors) came out and said, 'It's cancer'.
'I don't think anything prepares anyone for that kind of moment. I have a large scar across my abdomen.
'I think what happened to me when I was younger has definitely had an impact on my brothers and could be one of the reasons why they went into that profession.'
Looking ahead, the British No 6 is excited at showcasing his abilities after receiving a wildcard entry to SW19 this year - he has previously played in the doubles.
However, he also has an eye on raising cancer awareness.
He added: 'I've dreamt about it (playing singles at Wimbledon) since I was a kid so it'll be a dream come true.
'Aside from tennis, I would like to raise cancer awareness and help as many families as I can who are going through similar things that mine went through.