Christian Harrison: Regardless of eight surgical procedures, I by no means gave up on my desires

My Level

Christian Harrison: Regardless of eight surgical procedures, I by no means gave up on my desires

American doubles standout writes a My Level first-person essay concerning the obstacles he has overcome to compete among the many perfect within the sport.

November 09, 2025

I used to be in excruciating ache. I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t do something.

I used to be a 14-year-old ranked increased than anybody else on the planet my age. I had a profession in entrance of me I all the time dreamed of and right this moment, I’m a 31-year-old on the brink of compete with Evan King within the Nitto ATP Finals for one of many greatest titles in our sport.

However as I take into consideration my debut at this occasion, I’ve mirrored on my lengthy battle to get right here

Seventeen years in the past, I used to be coping with a bone an infection in my left femur. On the time, all I knew was that my leg was hurting. It felt like I had a continuing cramp in my leg, however it was the bone that was truly hurting.

It first popped up once I was seven or eight years outdated. It simply so occurred to aptitude up once I was 14 and within the span of 4 weeks the an infection doubled in dimension.

They misdiagnosed it a pair instances, so determining that it was a bone an infection was tough and a complete course of in itself. As soon as it began hurting we knew one thing was happening and studying I had a bone an infection was nearly a reduction.

Bone infections can get critical in the event that they get into your hip. Earlier than fashionable drugs, they amputated legs at any time when they had been that painful. Medication has superior rather a lot, however that’s how a lot ache it usually may cause. Fortunately they’ve higher methods to deal with it now and I thought-about myself fairly fortunate at that time. I used to be in a position to get nice care.

Nick Bollettieri was the one who set us up on the Mayo Clinic, in order that I used to be in a position to journey with my household to get therapy. We ended up taking good care of it with surgical procedure and I had a clean restoration from there — it was merely a matter of time to heal.

However that was solely the start. After I was turning 19, I tore a labrum in my hip. I ended up having a number of surgical procedures. I had two hip surgical procedures, a shoulder surgical procedure, a wrist surgical procedure after which two adductor surgical procedures all inside a yr of one another.

These stored me out for shut to 3 years. I stored having ongoing issues from having so many surgical procedures and over the course of the following few years, I missed one other yr and a half right here, one other yr there.

In these moments, a very powerful factor is to seek out methods to maintain your self joyful and optimistic. I stored considering that issues can all the time be worse. It was clearly robust, however I by no means misplaced my motivation. I all the time discovered methods to maintain my spirit excessive. I needed to maintain going and also you inform your self there’s a means it may be performed.

My brother Ryan was nonetheless enjoying and he was very profitable, which helped. As soon as World No. 40 in singles and No. 16 in doubles, I’d keep inquisitive about watching him as a result of I needed to be there by his aspect. I all the time regarded as much as Ryan and was so happy with him. That stored me motivated, across the sport and with one thing to attempt for.

The toughest wasn’t once I wasn’t enjoying, however once I began enjoying once more. It takes some time to stand up to the requirements that you just count on for your self. However I all the time knew that I used to be by no means going to lose the enjoyment of enjoying the sport.

From age 15, I spent near 9 years not hitting tennis balls for probably the most half. However I used to be ultimately in a position to attain a fairly excessive stage. I climbed to the Prime 200 within the PIF ATP Rankings and made the semi-finals of an ATP Tour occasion in Delray Seaside as a qualifier in 2021.

I certified for a significant primary draw for the primary time in 2016 aged 2022, did it once more at Wimbledon two years later and ultimately made it again to a Slam primary draw at SW19 in 2022.

Throughout my first-round match in opposition to Jay Clarke, I damage my proper foot fairly badly. I used to be up two units to like and he took a rest room break, which gave me loads of time to consider it.

I used to be already having an ongoing drawback, stood up and couldn’t put weight on my foot. I needed to get it wrapped and take one thing to get by means of it. I used to be in a position to win the match, however needed to withdraw early in my second-round match.

Christian Harrison at Wimbledon in 2022.” type=”width:100%;” src=”https://www.atptour.com/-/media/photographs/information/2025/11/09/23/07/harrison-wimbledon-2022-2025.jpg”>Picture: Justin Setterfield/Getty Photographs

It seems that I had a chip in my heel. I used to be crying after I gained the primary match as a result of I knew I most likely wanted an extended layoff and I had already thought if I had one other one, I used to be going to begin enjoying doubles. After top-of-the-line moments of my profession, I needed to sit and do nothing. That was once I determined to alter my focus.

I used to be younger sufficient that I nonetheless believed I might come again and I undoubtedly needed to. I really like enjoying tennis a lot. I acquire nice satisfaction from simply hitting the ball and all the time have. That’s the rationale why guys like Novak Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka are nonetheless enjoying. They don’t need to, however they love tennis. That’s how I really feel.

I started enjoying full-time doubles final season and now, Evan and I are competing within the Nitto ATP Finals alongside the perfect gamers on the planet. Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and extra are all right here.

To be on this scenario, it makes me admire it. To play huge matches in stadiums like Inalpi Area makes it so enjoyable. It makes waking up early and the times once you’re drained and you need to battle simply to really feel good and get to the courtroom, simply so you’ll be able to love enjoying. You then’re right here. It’s a very good reminder that every thing you’re doing is value it to your personal causes.

I didn’t need to quit and settle for that accidents or surgical procedures can be the explanations I finished doing one thing.

I don’t know what the longer term holds, however I’m grateful to be right here and I’m attempting to do every thing I can to play so long as I can.