Ryan Peniston set for huge cash windfall after grass court breakthrough

Ryan Peniston admitted he has had worse weeks after earning a £100,000 pay day at Queen’s Club.

The British number seven, barely heard of outside tennis circles a few days ago, saw his dream run at the cinch Championships – his first appearance in an ATP Tour main draw – ended at the quarter-final stage by Filip Krajinovic.

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Yet Peniston’s charge to the last eight, courtesy of wins over Francisco Cerundolo and top seed Casper Ruud, earned him £50,000 in prize money, almost double his earnings for the rest of the year.

Moreover, his performances this week also secured the 26-year-old a Wimbledon wild card, guaranteeing him at least the same amount again.

It is a far cry from all the weeks and months spent traipsing around the lower-tier Futures Tours since Peniston turned professional in 2018.

He can now invest in more of a support team – although Peniston admits he may also treat himself with his windfall.

“It’s definitely a lot of money,” smiled the left-hander from Southend.

Ryan Peniston's dream run ends at the #cinchChampionships

But what a week it's been for Ryan pic.twitter.com/f1RuoicK8R

— LTA (@the_LTA) June 17, 2022

“I was playing on the Futures Tours a couple of years ago and then the Challengers. So it’s definitely going to help my career a lot. I’m just going to reinvest it in myself.

“Just being able to pay for training and travel and now I’m starting to be able to afford a coach to travel with.

“The next step is being able to afford a physical