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Alex Ward: Wimbledon wildcard speaks about tennis' Futures tour

The Royal Box. Strawberries and cream. British flag face-paint adorning sun-kissed skin. Wimbledon is the picture of a perfect tennis world.

We will hear so much from SW19 over the next two weeks about whether Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams can defend their titles, or whether Andy Murray can lift the men's singles trophy for the second time.

The prize money in 2016 ramps up to a staggering £28.1m, with a first-round loser in the singles tournament earning £30,000.

That may sound like a lot of money for a few hours' work, but for some players on the third-tier Futures tour, which samples the delights of Uzbekistan and Mozambique among others, that money is invaluable.