Chris Eubanks couldn’t shake his negative thoughts about the surface in 2023, from his movement to the slower speed of the ball.
After losing in the second round at the Surbiton Challenger event in June, he reached out in near-desperation to Kim Clijsters, the four-time major champion and former world No. 1, for guidance or tips to help him get through the following weeks.
Clijsters responded with encouraging words and advised him to work on his footwork. Eubanks took her advice to heart.
Not only did he see significant improvements, but he also found his mentality about the grass changing. Understanding his limitations, he focused on the aspects of his game that suited the surface, including his big serve and aggressive net play.
“I just kind of had to flip my mindset a little bit and then the movement naturally began to get a bit better because I felt like I didn’t harp on it nearly as much,” Eubanks told ESPN last month. “I just kind of focused on the things that I did do well on the surface, and then I allowed the rest to take care of itself.”
Just weeks later, Eubanks won the first ATP title of his career at Mallorca, breaking into the top 50 for the first time. He arrived at Wimbledon the following day brimming with confidence and rode his newfound momentum all the way to the quarterfinals, including recording upset wins over Cameron Norrie and Stefanos Tsitsipas.
It was his best-ever result at a major, making him a fan favorite. His ranking surged to a career-high of No. 29 soon after, proving to him exactly what he was capable of.
One year later, the 28-year-old Eubanks returns to Wimbledon looking to get his season back on track after a challenging stretch. After failing to win a match on clay, Eubanks had some success on grass — reaching the quarterfinals at Halle — but fell in the opening match of his title defense at Mallorca last week.
Still, Wimbledon has been a bright spot on his calendar throughout most of the spring. He will open his 2024 campaign at the All England Club on Tuesday against qualifier Quentin Halys.
Eubanks reached the quarterfinals in his very next tournament after Wimbledon at the Atlanta Open and then arrived in New York for the US Open the following month seeded for the first time at a major.
There he was thrust into the spotlight before play got underway, making television appearances on national morning shows and even getting invited for a backstage tour at “Hamilton” from Lin-Manuel Miranda. Even several of his peers couldn’t help but express their joy about his recent results.
Chris Eubanks (Credits: Getty Images)
“Obviously I love Chris and I’ve known him for so long and I think being able to see someone who works so hard like Chris, [who is] what you would call a student of the game — he eats, breathes, and sleeps tennis — to see him be able to do well and have the results that every tennis player dreams of is pretty incredible,” Sloane Stephens, the 2017 US Open champion, told the ATP at the time. “And I think we all are just so happy for him.”
But despite playing in front of enthusiastic home crowds on show courts, Eubanks lost in the second round. This season has been even more challenging.
Before arriving in Halle, he had a 3-12 record in tour events and was on an eight-match losing streak. He fell in the second round at the Australian Open and in his opener against now-world No. 1 Jannik Sinner at the French Open.
By the end of a disappointing winless clay season, Eubanks was excited for a fresh start on grass. He lost his first-round match at Stuttgart but rediscovered his form on the surface in Halle the following week — even defeating Alexander Bublik, the defending champion, in three sets in the Round of 16.
It marked his first quarterfinal appearance since Atlanta, nearly 11 months ago.
He had high hopes for Mallorca but ultimately lost in his first-round match to 18-year-old Jakub Mensik, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1. His ranking fell 20 spots to No. 62 as a result, making his Wimbledon performance even more crucial.
Eubanks was trying to stay as focused as possible on every tournament ahead of Wimbledon. He calls his 2023 experience at the tournament a “blur” and remembers being laser-focused on every match, but not much else.
“You don’t really have the time to sit back and think too much about what’s going on [when it’s happening],” Eubanks said. “You’re just focusing on what you can control and then it just all happened so quickly. By the time you finish, you look up and you go, ‘Whoa, what was that?'”
Now a member of Wimbledon’s “Last Eight Club,” which formally recognizes players who have reached the quarterfinals in singles at the tournament with tickets for life, access to an exclusive lounge, and a daily happy hour, Eubanks doesn’t think he’ll have much time or interest to take advantage of the perks.
But he did get an official welcome letter and a pin last year and will check it out “later down the line.”
Even with his struggles this season, Eubanks enters the 2024 tournament in a markedly different position than last year. In 2023, he was a virtual unknown to many and he had to extend his hotel reservation three times throughout his run.
But this time around, in addition to the 360 ranking points he will try to defend, he will be a must-watch for fans from the start and he is prepared
