There may be little sign of a Leicestershire tennis player starring at Wimbledon any time soon, but we do have one man to look out for on the hallowed turf at SW19 during the tournament fortnight.
David Robins, a retired civil servant from Great Glen, is one of the sport's top line judges and was straight into action when the world's biggest and best grasscourt tournament got under way.
It doesn't end there for the 65-year-old, as he will also be officiating at the Olympic and Paralympic Games in London, making it a summer to remember.
After admitting he was not going to make it as a player, Robins decided to look elsewhere to remain involved in tennis and, in 1983, found himself suddenly becoming a chair umpire.
"I used to play a lot for Northamptonshire, but when I got into my mid-30s it was obvious I was on a downhill slide as a player," he said.
"I wanted to put something back into a sport which gave me so much, and wondered where the umpires at Wimbledon came from.
"I got the details and, five weeks later, I was standing on a court for the first time, no training at all! It just snowballed from there, and here I am at my 29th Wimbledon."
Robins gave up his role as a chair umpire eight years ago to concentrate on calling the lines – and to get more time on the show courts where the biggest matches are played.
"I'd reached my optimum as chair umpire, I wasn't going to go on to the next level at international grade and be a show-court umpire," he said.
"That helped me as a line judge because, now, every two or three years out of every five, I do the Wimbledon finals.
"When I retired, at 60, I was able to spend even more time line judging. It was probably the main reason why I did retire.
"It will be an intense two weeks, and on my first day walking on to centre court I still get the butterflies, but like everything else in life, the more you do it the easier it gets."
The pick of Robins' 29 years at SW19 was in the 2008 men's final, when Rafael Nadal beat champion Roger Federer in five sets in what is widely regarded as the best match ever.
In the fifth set, with the score 7-6 to Federer and the light fading, it looked like play was about to be suspended until the following day before Nadal won the next three games to lift the title.
"I was lucky enough to be involved in that match and was on court when it finished in the twilight," said Robins.
"Everyone would have been really disappointed if it had stopped, not least me because I was committed to be at another tournament the next day. The atmosphere on court, with all the cameras flashing away, the darkness falling and the crowd going berserk, was a fairytale scenario and an experience I don't think I'll ever match."
Having managed to avoid one of John McEnroe's infamous 'You cannot be serious' tirades over the years, Robins was, however, on the receiving end of a few harsh words from the fiery Croat, Goran Ivanisevic.
"I'd called him for a foot fault during one match at Wimbledon," said Robins.
"It was game-point against him, he lost the game, walked towards me looking very angry with his racket up here, shouting expletives in Croatian and, basically, disputing my parentage.
"He was fined for it, but he won the match and, the next day, he saw me on court and gave me a big grin. It was all forgotten."
Robins can expect a few more memories to cherish from the Olympics and Paralympics this summer, and it is an experience he has been relishing for a long time.
He said: "The prospect of the Olympics has kept me going the last few years, I suppose, that carrot dangling there.
"I'm really looking forward to it.
"We have a great camaraderie among officials, but it will be more intense than usual because of the occasion and being swept up by the excitement.
"But once on court, concentration is the key. I always look at it as 'A' is playing 'B' on a tennis court, and treat every match the same, whether it's under-12 juniors or a Wimbledon final."
Courtesy of Leicester Mercury