AN IRISH tennis star has hailed as a “dream come true” the chance to play at Wimbledon.
James McCabe, 21, faces Hungary‘s Fabian Marozsan tomorrow in his first involvement at tennis‘ most prestigious tournament.
He is Australian-born – with his dad Patrick having moved to Sydney with his brother in 1987 when he was 22 – while he also has an Irish passport.
Patrick, originally from Walkinstown in Dublin, met and married wife Irene, who is from the Philippines, and has two kids – James and his sister Jasmin.
Mr McCabe appeared on RTÉ’s Oliver Callan to discuss his son’s rise to tennis stardom, and revealed his unconventional way of teaching him.
He admitted: “I did it through YouTube because, as a labourer, I didn’t have much money.”
Their early base of operation was a complex in Rockdale, near Sydney Airport.
Patrick added: “There were two tennis courts in the facility.
“I took James down when he was two-and-a-half or three so he had a bit of aptitude.
“If the courts weren’t there, I don’t think James would have picked up a racket.”
Along with tennis, James showed an aptitude for both swimming and music.
He is a former national champion in the pool, while he learned how to play the flute and piano and is a self-taught guitar player.
While his dad admitted to getting “carried away” and being “a bit hard” on his son, James himself argued he did not know any different.
McCabe explained: “That was my childhood. Maybe it wasn’t normal at the time but it is what it is and that is the only thing I knew so it was normal to me.
“Probably looking back now, it wasn’t the most normal but it builds character and without it, I wouldn’t be where I am now.”
That is despite a hectic daily schedule that did not even account for tennis, which he temporarily gave up when he was 12 until 15.
“I had to wake up at like 4am or 5am in the morning.
“Swimming training would start at 5am then go to 7am and then at 7:30am I would have to do orchestra or choir or symphonic wind band or marching band depending on the day.
“I would go to school, it would start at 8:30am, recess at 10:30am, music lesson then and then 10:30am to 1pm would be classes and then another music lesson.
“3:45pm finish school, try to get something to eat quickly and then there would be orchestra after school, marching band, or symphonic wind band.
“That would finish at 5pm or 6pm, then try to get something light to eat then before swimming lessons at 7pm.
“I would be finishing at 9pm, get home at nearly 10pm. Try to get my homework done, go to bed at midnight and get up the next day at 5am.”
‘GOOSEBUMPS’
Once he picked the racket up once again, his talent was quickly apparent.
James won schoolboys national titles in singles, and nationals in singles and doubles before getting a wildcard into the Australian junior championships.
He beat Tomas Barrios Vera of Chile at Roehampton to qualify for Wimbledon and admitted getting the chance to walk the same hallowed grounds as his heroes made for a dream come true.
He beamed: “It is every tennis player’s dream to play Wimbledon.
“It is one of the biggest sporting events in the world and, being Irish, my dad’s dream was always to come to Wimbledon.
“He would always watch it when he was younger. He would watch Bjorn Borg because it was on RTE and BBC so being here and walking through the gates, it gives you goosebumps.
“It is a bit overwhelming. All the history hits you at once.
“I was lucky enough to get the Championship Tour so I got to walk where Novak Djokovic and all the greats walked.”
While born in Australian and the son of a Philippine mum, James is proud of his Irish roots.
He holds an Irish passport, a distinction his 13-year-old sister Jasmin is keen to replicate.
And he revealed his dad Patrick has imparted his taste in Irish music onto him.
“I have three aunties in Ireland: one in Blessington, one in Saggart, and one in Mullingar. I have also got an uncle in Sydney.
“Irish has always been a big part of my life.
“I have been to Ireland four times and dad always takes us. He likes smoked cod and chips but I like fresh cod and chips.
“He always listens to the Dubliners and all that stuff. Every day he plays the old Irish songs.
“He makes me play them on the flute, the Irish national anthem and the old songs about the IRA and all that stuff.”
