For every Roger Federer, there’s a Luke Saville.

With career earnings nudging $100mn and possessing 17 Grand Slam titles, it’s surprising that arguably the greatest tennis player of all time shares any common ground with a 22-year-old Australian, currently ranked just inside the world’s top 200.

The name may not mean much to many tennis fans, but the man who emulated Federer by winning the boys’ singles title at Wimbledon five years ago epitomises the relentless cut-throat battle that goes on for the majority of tennis professionals when the eyes of the world are not on SW19.

Next week, Saville’s preparations for a potential visit to the All England Club will take in a trip to Surbiton for a Challenger Tour event, one of an arduous series of men’s tournaments at a level of competition below the highly-lucrative ATP Tour.

Don’t be under the illusion that all tennis players live in Monte Carlo and earn eight-figure salaries - Saville and his rivals will be competing for a first prize of just €6,150.

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Surbiton Racket & Fitness Club is one of the oldest tennis clubs in England and has been established on its current site since 1881

Two years ago, Saville appeared to be on the verge of making his breakthrough when he beat Dominic Thiem in the first round at Wimbledon - his first victory in the main draw of a Grand Slam.

Thiem is just five months older than Saville, yet the Austrian ended 2015 as the youngest player in the world’s top 20.

It seems Thiem is taking the path many expected Saville to take, but his pragmatic attitude is that of a man who knows it’s become increasingly common in men’s tennis for good things to come to those who wait.

Citing one weekend last year when the 34-year-old Victor Estrella Burgos became the oldest first-time ATP World Tour winner in the Open era, Saville said: “Some juniors do it quicker than others, but I am doing my absolute best. It’s just taking me a little bit longer.”

The summer schedule will also see Saville re-enter the Wimbledon qualifiers.

With first-round losers at the All England Club this year each receiving £30,000, it’s fitting that tennis’s equivalent of the Oxford entry exam is staged at the Bank of England Sports Centre at Roehampton.

“This time of the year is very important for somebody like myself. I’d say grass is probably my favourite surface," Saville said.

“I have always had one ambition and that’s to play professional tennis. I have never deviated from that one direction in my life.”

Tickets for the Aegon Surbiton Trophy, starting tomorrow (Monday) are priced between £5 and £17, and are available at lta.org.uk.