Game, Set, Van; How a Ford Transit Helped Fuel a Tennis Pro’s Dream

DUNTON, UK - Growing up on the Isle of Man, Billy Harris was always into sport, playing table tennis, golf and tennis as well as cycling. At under 12 level, he represented the island in all of these. But it was tennis that he decided to pursue, moving to Bisham Abbey National Sports Centre near Reading in England from the age of 12 to 14 to study the sport with a view to turning professional.

When Billy started competing across Europe some years later the realities of being a professional tennis player hit. Going from tournament to tournament meant always being on the road, so he had the idea to just stay on the road by getting a van to travel and sleep in. It not only gave him the means to get to the next tournament, but also helped keep costs down because at that point, if he got knocked out in the first round of a tournament, he might only earn around between 60 and 80 Euros.

Billy’s dad and uncle are builders, restoring houses, so he grew up around vans. His dad always said that if you want a van, then buy a Ford as they’re reliable.

So, Billy went with his dad to an auction, picking up a 2012 Ford Transit. He made a wooden frame in the back for a single mattress, and with his tennis racket stringing machine and a simple gas cooker he was ready to go.

“I remember starting in France in the winter. When I woke up in the morning I had to scrape ice off the inside of the roof. Then I went to Spain where it was really hot and I had to deal with condensation. But after I insulated the van it was much better,” Billy said.

“People did wonder whether sleeping in a van was a wise idea when preparing for matches, but I always slept really well. Perhaps it helps because you’re getting plenty of fresh air as you’re outside a lot.”

Billy would often pitch up at tennis clubs to stay overnight, but he would also just park up on the side of the road or in fast food restaurant car parks. If it was ever too noisy, he would just drive to a different spot.

“I’d go to a supermarket and buy 40 packs of rice and 40 tins of tuna, then cook the rice with an egg in a frying pan, add the tuna and then some soy and sweet chilli sauces. I’d eat out of the frying pan and just wipe it clean ready for the next meal. You certainly learn how to live as simply as possible.

“Apart from people sometimes asking me to move on in the morning I never really had any issues, maybe a few strange looks when I was restringing my racket with the pretty big stringing machine outside of the van. Only once, in London, where I woke up to the sound of people trying to get into the van did I ever have any real trouble. When I beat on the side of the van from inside they soon ran off. I can imagine they weren’t expecting that.”

For Billy, the highs definitely outweighed the lows. Camping in Portugal at the top of cliffs with views over to Morocco was amazing. 

Billy covered over 100,000 miles in the van travelling to Spain, France, Poland, Germany, Portugal, the Czech Republic and Belgium more times that he can count and never had a single issue with the van. As his career has progressed, and the tournaments have become further and further apart, he’s had to start travelling in a more conventional way.

“But travelling is still one of the great things about being a professional. It continues to take me to Australia, the US and places like Thailand as I aim to break into the top 100 in the world rankings. My current best is 101^st, and if I break into the top 100 then I’ll be in all the Grand Slam main draws. That’s my goal.”

Billy now has an all-electric Ford Capri to use while he is in the UK.

“I’ve never driven an electric car before so it should be interesting to experience. And it looks really cool in black,” he said. “I may have to take it back to the Isle of Man to test it on the roads there too. It’s a long way from my old Transit, but that van will always be special for playing such a big part of my journey to becoming a professional tennis player.”