Wimbledon star Ryan Peniston ‘almost crashed’ car after hearing of Murray match

Ryan Peniston has revealed he nearly crashed his car when he heard he will play his mate Andy Murray in an all-British clash in the Wimbledon first round. The Essex wildcard is set to face the double Wimbledon champion in the biggest match of his life on Centre Court on Tuesday.

World No 267 Peniston got to the second round at SW19 last year by beating Henrik Laaksonen in straight sets on Court 12. But now the cancer survivor will be facing an icon of British sport in the most famous tennis court in the world.

Speaking at the All England Club, Peniston said: “I was literally just driving from my girlfriends. And I had a text from my coach Mark (Taylor) and it just said: “Andy!!!” Yeah, it’s pretty cool. I almost crashed!

“I was in Wandsworth and then (LTA media chief) John (Dolan) messaged me and asked me to come in and I was like ‘yeah, I’ll just change and go left and go straight to Wimbledon.” Peniston, 27, added: “I know Andy pretty well. I think since the Battle of the Brits, I didn’t really know him before.

“Since then we’ve become friends. And yeah, we’ve practised quite a lot together. He’s a good guy. Definitely. I grew up watching him especially here as well. So it’s pretty special.

“I actually remember when he won it, I was playing in Ilkley – I think it was a futures – they had it up on the big screen. I remember watching it and everyone was crowded around and it was a special moment.”

Now Peniston and Murray are in regular contact and in the same group chats. “There’s a lot of banter that flies about and we talk a little bit through text and stuff, mainly in group chats,” he said. “I’d say fantasy football is a big one. That’s probably the biggest.

“Apart from that we both share a love for tennis as well. Who’s doing better in fantasy football? I don’t really want to talk about that!” Peniston is a sporting ambassador for Young Lives vs Cancer, the UK’s leading charity for children and young people with cancer after being diagnosed with cancer as a one-year-old.

Ryan went on to have eighteen months of treatment at St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London, including chemotherapy and surgery. “I still do work with the charity – it’s definitely something that’s really, really important to me,” he said. “There’s a lot of bigger things than tennis in life. S to try and help people is a big thing for me.”