Balshaw started playing tennis at the age of four, but unsurprisingly also had a talent for rugby.
At 13, he needed to make a choice about which sport he wanted to pursue more seriously with the prospect of a professional career looming.
“When I was little, and your father is a rugby champion, of course you always want to follow in his steps and do the same journey as him,” Balshaw said.
“But I just felt that rugby was not going to be my sport.
“Tennis, I guess, is more difficult for me than rugby because it’s an individual sport, but there was a little more fire in me [playing tennis].
“That meant it was the right choice to choose tennis.”
Balshaw is essentially an inverted Arthur Fery – the French-born British number one who became a household name with a stunning run to the Wimbledon semi-finals in July.
The pair actually met for the first time at this week’s ATP 250 event in Lyon, where Balshaw beat Portuguese world number 56 Jaime Faria for his maiden win at tour level.
Possessing a Roger Federer-style one-handed backhand, and a Thor-inspired hammer celebration, Balshaw announced his arrival in some style.
Next week Balshaw will rise into the world’s top 180, having starting the 2026 season ranked 718th.
His success will also attract interest among Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) chiefs, who are desperate to increase the pool of British players at the elite level.
Was Balshaw ever approached by the LTA to represent the country of his birth?
And was there ever a conversation with his parents about who he should represent?
“Maybe my parents are hiding stuff and I don’t know, but I have never been personally contacted by the LTA,” Felix said.
“I think for [my parents] the most important thing is if I’m happy, they’ll be happy as well.”
