The 21-year-old stunned world No. 144 Alexander Blockx 6-3 3-6 6-2 6-1 in the final round of qualifying on Thursday, in what was his first best-of-five match.
“Ever since I was a little kid, it’s been my dream.”
“I came here every year from about nine, 10 to watch with my family. I was a pretty good player as a little kid and obviously it was a big dream of mine to come back and play on those courts. It felt so far away, now it’s a reality. I’m just so happy I was able to pull through.”
Tarvet is the first British male player in eight years to make it through qualifying for Wimbledon.
The first two rounds of qualifying saw him beat Frenchman Terence Atmane and Canadian Alexis Galarneau.
Tarvet is currently studying at the University of San Diego in the United States, and has been impressive on the collegiate circuit.
Situated on America’s west coast, Tarvet credited his experience in San Diego with helping him handle the Wimbledon wind on Thursday.
“This is a bit more swirly, a bit more unpredictable. In San Diego, it’s a bit more consistent.
“A lot of it is about being scrappy. There’s going to be bad bounces, but I did a good job just accepting it and making the most of it.”
The downside for Tarvet, however, is that as an NCAA athlete, he will be unable to claim the majority of his £66,000 prize money for making it to the first round.
Student-athletes can claim up to $10,000 (£7,300) per year from prize money, which can go towards expenses such as travel.
“It’s a little bit awkward because I’ve got to find a lot of expenses and I really want to come back to University of San Diego to complete my fourth year,” Tarvet said.
“What they’ve done for me is just incredible and I’m so grateful. I want to spend my fourth year there and really leave my mark on US history.
“I can claim up to $10,000, so I might be flying my coach on a private jet at home.”
