Chris Eubanks debuts at Wimbledon, upsets No. 5 in the world
LONDON (BVM) – Chris Eubanks’ debut at Wimbledon has been full of monumental firsts. The 27-year-old Atlanta native pulled off an upset against No. 5-ranked Stefanos Tsitsipasto to advance to his first–ever Wimbledon quarterfinals. It was Eubanks’ first win against a top–five player in his six–year career.
“I’m living a dream right now,” Eubanks said after beating Tsitsipasto.
The 43rd-ranked tennis player in the world beat Tsitsipasto in five sets. After losing the first and the third set, Eubanks won the last two to complete the upset. He will play No. 3-ranked Daniil Medvedev in the quarterfinals on Wednesday. Prior to the upset, Eubanks beat the best British player in the world and No. 12 player in the ATP rankings, Cameron Norrie.
It is a career-changing run that Eubanks is on and it’s even more impressive because of how close he was to calling it quits just a few years ago.
Following his tennis career at Georgia Tech, Eubanks went pro but after having to take a hiatus from the game due to the pandemic, he wasn’t sure if he was going to continue his tennis career. He told his agent if he was still around the 200s in the world rankings after one more year, he was going to call it a career.
For those who don’t know Chris Eubanks, get to know him.
He’s been so open & brave about his struggles as a professional tennis player.
It’s so important for young athletes to know that it’s okay to struggle.
A great day to appreciate this man. 🥹❤️
pic.twitter.com/eztBtpzBHU— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) July 10, 2023
Luckily, it didn’t come to that and earlier this year, Eubanks went viral for his reaction to breaking into the top 100 of the world rankings while playing in the Miami Open. He made it to the quarterfinals in Miami, losing to Medvedev who went on to win the Miami Open. Since then, Eubanks has been gaining a lot of momentum. He’s made it to at least the quarterfinals in five events and won the finals at Mallorca.
Now, Eubanks is having the run of his career at Wimbledon. He gets a rematch against Medvedev and the chance to beat another top–five player in the world. Eubanks has also guaranteed himself a pay out of at least $430,347 by making it to the quarterfinals and for a guy that has made just $1,808,629 during his entire career, that will be a huge payout.
Eubanks has won the hearts of tennis fans who, like him, don’t want the dream to end.
