Wimbledon finalist had to ask friends to buy him food as he admits ‘shame’ over being poor

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Mark Philippoussis, the man Roger Federer beat to win his first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 2003, has opened up on the “shame” he felt over being “poor” after struggling emotionally and financially following a knee surgery. The former world No.8 found himself turning to friends for help with buying food, and said he suffered with depression as he watched his “loved ones suffer”.

Philippoussis reached his first Grand Slam final at the US Open in 1998, and made his top ten debut a few months later in March 1999.

The Australian made a comeback in 2003 after undergoing three knee surgeries, with his injuries having forced him out of the Aussie Davis Cup team several times, causing something of a feud with teammates including Pat Rafter.

The former top-ten player hired a new physical trainer and made himself available for the Davis Cup on regular occasions following his comeback, which saw him commit to being serious about tennis, and it paid off as he then made the 2003 Wimbledon final, losing to a then-21-year-old Roger Federer, with the Swiss star winning the first of his 20 Grand Slam titles.

However, his comeback success was stunted again as his performances dipped again in 2004 and he failed to win a match after Wimbledon until the end of the year.

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He attempted to make another comeback in 2006 after hiring a new coach but failed to pick up many wins, and suffered another setback with his knee a year later, again attempting a comeback in 2008 before undergoing more knee surgeries, after which he was left “poor”.

Now, appearing on TV show SAS Australia, the two-time Grand Slam finalist has opened up on the feeling he had let his loved ones down after failing to make enough money on the court following his injuries, when his father had quit his secure banking job to help him become a pro player.

“Family’s my world. It’s my priority. My everything. I had a dream to become a professional tennis player and my family put everything on the line,” Philippoussis said.

“My father had a good job in the bank business and quit because he said he wanted to help me fulfil my dreams — so he let go of his dreams and I worked very hard and I was lucky enough to fulfil my dreams. And the good news was that I could take care of my family so they don’t have to work again. My father or mother didn’t have to work. But I’ve gone into a tough situation with injuries where everything stopped.”

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Following his sixth knee surgery, Philippoussis watched his family struggle financially in 2009 as he was unable to get back on the court and produce results to earn money, having not wanted to think about saving for a “rainy day” in the past.

He continued: “When you’re an athlete, the last thing you want to think about … They always say, ‘Save for a rainy day’. And I feel like you’re weak if you feel like you might get injured and you have to have something to back up to — that’s a sign of weakness.

“You can’t think that way because you’ve got to keep going, you’ve got to get back from injuries and you’re going to be OK.”

The Australian, who only officially retired in 2015, continued: “I was out for a few months. I couldn’t afford much, actually. I had to ask friends just to shop for food.”

“We would always, just, for seven days in a row we’d have this cabbage pasta that ends up being one of my favourites but my mum calls it ‘poor people’s food’ because it’s so simple, it’s just cabbage with some spices and pasta,” he said, speaking of the shame he felt at the time

“I felt very much ashamed because they gave their dream for me and my responsibility was to look after them. I was in a dark place and had depression. There’s no greater pain in my heart than watching my loved ones suffer because of my actions.”

Philippoussis was later able to get his life back on track, and played in some matches on the Challenger and Champions circuits in 2010.

In 2015, he received a wildcard into the qualifying rounds of the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships – his first ATP Tour match in nine years – and lost his opening match, but was able to have some success in the doubles main-draw at the event, reaching the quarter-final alongside Ryan Harrison.

The Australian later admitted it wasn’t a comeback and was instead “just about playing one event”, and has not played on the pro tour since.

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