I beat Federer as kid but spent ‘lonely’ tennis career playing in front of no crowds… now I work in commercial property
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CONOR NILAND beat Roger Federer as a junior and practised with Serena Williams. He even trained with Andy Murray and took on Novak Djokovic in the biggest tennis stadium in the world, the Arthur Ashe at the US Open. But like the majority of tennis players, his journeyman career which peaked at world No129 was a lonely slog often playing in front of zero fans.
![[Conor Niland's pro tennis career was a far cry from glitz and glamour]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/conor-niland-ireland-reaches-shot-962180553_910fe6.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
And now he is enjoying a very different career working in commercial property after swapping dropshots for deals and serves for suits. Niland was born exactly six weeks after Federer in 1981 and they crossed paths 13 years later when the Irish youngster got the better of the rising Swiss star.
![[He faced Novak Djokovic at the 2011 US Open - but had to retire due to food poisoning]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/novak-djokovic-serbia-shakes-hands-905767656.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
However, their tennis careers went in very different directions, Federer winning 20 Grand Slam titles while Niland reached the main draw in two majors. It was the first of those two for Niland, though, that he is best remembered - and prompted his award-winning autobiography The Racket.
![[Niland led Adrian Mannarino by a double break in the fifth set at Wimbledon]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/shakes-hands-irelands-conor-niland-962180254.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
Because after years of plugging away on the Futures and Challenger circuits after going pro in 2005, the levels below the ATP Tour, Niland finally booked his spot in a Grand Slam at Wimbledon in 2011. He came through three rounds of qualifying, saving five match points in the first, and was pitted against Frenchman Adrian Mannarino with the winner to face that man Federer on Centre Court.
![[The painful defeat saw him miss out on another date with Roger Federer]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/conor-niland-ireland-reacts-losing-962180156.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
But despite leading 4-1 in the fifth with a double break, Niland lost and missed out on his special reunion. CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS. Two months later, he qualified for the US Open for the first time and was drawn against No1 seed Djokovic in round one before disaster hit again as he was struck down by food poisoning.
![[Niland took to the Arthur Ashe Stadium despite feeling horrendous]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/conor-niland-ireland-sits-retired-4998733.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
