Ruben Harris: From local courts to junior Grand Slam success

The SportsAid athlete was recently named among the top 10 finalists for the 2025 SportsAid One to Watch Award, recognising his rapid rise and standout achievements in the sport.

Ruben’s journey into tennis began at community-based wheelchair sessions, designed for players wanting to try the sport for the first time. What started as a fun introduction quickly turned into something more serious, with Ruben returning regularly before entering his first tournament just months later.

A naturally competitive and determined young athlete, Ruben progressed rapidly.

Within his first year of competing, he was selected for the Wheelchair Tennis National Age Group Programme, run by the LTA, marking his first step into the performance pathway.

Ruben said:

“I started by trying out some introductory sessions. After my first session, I came back a few times before entering my first tournament. From there I just stayed in love with tennis.

“Getting picked for the futures programme; it gave me confidence that I could really push on in the sport.”

He continued:

“My first two or three years were mostly national tournaments.

“When covid came in, it had a bit of an impact on my training and competitions. It made travel harder, but once things opened up again, I played my first international tournament and got my first world ranking.”

Success soon followed on the global stage. Ruben has won two junior World Cups and claimed major titles at Roland Garros and the US Open, with the latter marking the end of his junior career.

Ruben said: “The US Open was my first Grand Slam.

“It was such a big stage, but I was just super happy to be there, regardless of the outcome. It was a really nice way to finish my junior career.”

Ruben’s journey has not been without challenges. Early in his career, he underwent surgeries that resulted in amputations, which caused a set back in his early wheelchair tennis career.

“When I first started, I had clubfoot and I was going through surgeries to have them amputated at the start of my career, which probably set me back about a year and a half.

 “Then Covid hit, travel stopped, and everything felt quite tough for a while.”

Support from SportsAid has played a key role in helping Ruben overcome some of his challenges around costs of travel and helped continue his progression.

Funding has helped cover the cost of international travel, coaching support, and preparation for overseas tournaments, easing financial pressure and allowing Ruben to focus fully on performance.

He said:

“It makes a huge difference.

“Being able to take coaches with me, pay for travel, and not have everything come out of family pockets means I can concentrate on improving and competing at my best.”

Looking ahead, Ruben’s ambitions are clear. In the short term, his focus is on progressing further on the international circuit, with his long-term goal firmly set on the Paralympic Games, where he hopes to represent Great Britain on the biggest stage.

“Long term, I’d love to get into the bigger draws at Grand Slams and hopefully start winning them at senior level.”

Beyond his own ambitions, Ruben is passionate about growing wheelchair tennis. He hopes to use his journey to inspire others to try the sport and to support younger players coming through the pathway in the future.

He concluded: “There are just too few players.

“It would be great to pass down knowledge and help younger players, or even people in their twenties, get involved in the sport.”