In Guelph, Ontario. man celebrates milestone by playing the game he loves.

Dan Gillis turns 90 on October 30, but the Royal City Tennis Club celebrated his big birthday when he took to the courts on Tuesday – one of two days he is guaranteed to play every week.

He is part of a group of talented seniors, most of whom are in their 60s and 70s, but although he is much older, he fits in perfectly.

“He’s quite a character,” said David Euale, who plays tennis with Gillis. “I often say I wish I could play like Dan at 90, but to be honest I wish I could play like Dan next week. He’s so good.

When CTV News Kitchener asked him if he was actually going to be 90, he laughed.

“Actually, I’m here,” Gillis said with a laugh. “Or someone always lied to me.”

Gillis also plays on Thursdays, or just about whenever someone calls and needs a partner.

“Well, I played yesterday too. That’s two days in a row,” said Gillis, who began playing tennis when he retired decades ago.

At the Royal City Tennis Club, he is treated like a king. Everyone knows him and the quirks of his game – like not having a backhand. Instead, he changes hands mid-play.

“Oh, I put punch on everything. I do everything with this. Same as left hand,” Gillis said.

His age and playing style shouldn’t be confused with a need for sympathy, because he doesn’t get any.

“I mean, it’s mind-boggling. The photos that come back are breathtaking. I come off the court, I shake my head sometimes at the shots he returns that I hit,” Euale said.

What amazes people the most is his attitude and the lessons his peers learn from his performance.

“Well, it teaches you to get along with other people and study their methods and your own,” Gillis said.

It certainly wasn’t a difficult task to gather fellow players and wish Gillis a happy 90th birthday. Many of them sang and ate cake to pay tribute to him.

As he spends his golden years smashing golden balls, he jokingly has a gripe about how the game has changed.

“Pickleball players occupy all our courts. You can’t have a court in Guelph on Sunday morning because there are so many pickleball players,” he said, smiling. “They’re coming out of the woods. One day I will launch a bidding campaign against them.

However, he admits, many local pickleball players know him and often clear a court for him to play tennis.

As for how much longer he’ll play: “Until I’m too tired to run.”