Novak Djokovic needed a last-minute hitting partner ahead of his US Open quarterfinal clash with Taylor Fritz. His team sent out a few texts, and somehow, the request landed with someone unexpected, Ryan Harrison, now a Sky Sports pundit, not an active tour player. Within hours, the retired American pro was scrambling through the locker room trying to find shoes, shirts, anything that could get him onto Arthur Ashe in one piece.

Harrison, a former world No. 40, hadn’t hit seriously in a while. He’d been in the booth working the tournament when his brother Christian, who regularly hits with Djokovic, got the call but was out of town. “Christian said, ‘I’m out of town,’ and they said, is there anyone else that you know that might be able to hit some balls? And he goes, ‘Well, Ryan is stil

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