Tennis News

My Wimbledon: Eubanks on Roddick memories & life-changing 2023 run

Christopher Eubanks enjoyed the biggest moment of his career last year at Wimbledon, where he earned a series of impressive wins to reach his first major quarter-final.

The American, who upset Stefanos Tsitsipas en route, reflects on one of the greatest moments of his career, remembers his early Wimbledon memories watching Andy Roddick and his love for the traditions at the grass-court major.

What is your first memory of watching Wimbledon?
My first memory was probably ‘Breakfast at Wimbledon’. Wimbledon is a pretty good Slam for waking up as a kid on the East Coast at six or seven a.m. and kind of getting to see the opening with ESPN and seeing the final on NBC as a kid. Those are my first memories and then with matches, that legendary final between Federer and Nadal in 08. I also remember two of Roddick’s finals. I remember watching it as an American thinking, ‘Oh man, an American could win Wimbledon. He played Federer in the finals and wasn’t able to, but still incredible matches.

So those finals and Rafa against Roger were probably two of the memories that stick out. But overall just kind of the joy of the summer waking up early and the excitement of seeing those first matches on and watching them bounce around from court to court is a memory I’ll always remember.

What were your thoughts about the aura of the venue when you first arrived?
I had played qualifying about three or four times and I had heard a few players say once you make main draw, it feels a little bit different when you get on site, so I didn’t really know what to expect. And then getting here last year and to experience it all for the first time as a player was truly remarkable. To just see how well manicured everything is. There’s not a piece of grass out of place, everybody is so orderly, they’re so respectful, so nice, things just kind of move like clockwork here. It was definitely a kind of surreal moment to say, ‘Oh wow, I’m here from a player standpoint’. It was truly special.

Can you reflect a little bit more on your QF journey last year and beating Stefanos Tsitsipas?
The Tsitsipas match is always one that I’ll say is the first time I think where I really kind of noticed things were a lot different. On the way to the match we walked from the main player area through the grounds, round the back of court three and onto court two. It was fine. Security was there. Some fans kind of waiting and saying, ‘Hey’, but all OK. And then when I came out of the door after the match, I think it was the first time that I noticed things were different.

The moment the doors opened, there were more people outside waiting. More people than I had ever seen asking for autographs, for photos. The security kind of grabbed me a little bit by my arms and we kind of just ran through to get all the way back to the players area. And I think just kind of seeing those doors open and seeing how different it was is when I had the ‘Aha moment’ of, ‘Whoa, things are a little different. This is pretty crazy’. Also the way the match went, just kind of up and down, topsy turvy. I lost the first one, won the second, lost the third. And then I won two straight and played some really, really good tennis to do it.

The crowd really got behind me. We produced some really fun tennis. I was pretty excited, obviously, as how things progressed. That match in particular is definitely the biggest of that run. It was really special.

<img src=”/-/media/images/news/2023/07/10/15/47/eubanks-wimbledon-2023-monday-2b.jpg” alt=”Chris Eubanks advances to the Wimbledon quarter-finals.” style=”width: 100%;” />
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What are your thoughts about the different Wimbledon traditions?
I think the traditions are what make Wimbledon so special. It’s why a lot of people look at it as the biggest tournament in the world. I’m not typically a fan of all white in any other part of the year because I just feel like it’s very easy to get it dirty.

As a kid playing junior tournaments I never really wore all white because I knew if I ate lunch, I would get a spill on it and it was too easy to see. But there’s something special about putting on all white here that I think makes it really cool. I love the tradition here. It is why I think a lot of players hold it in such a high regard.

What is your favourite thing about playing on grass?
I think serve and forehand have always kind of been good recipes for people to have success on grass. I think as a one-handed backhand, utilising the slice is really, really important for me to keep the ball low, force the opponents to have to hit up and then it’s just a little bit tougher to move on it. I think that’s the thing on the clay court or hard court, players are more comfortable defending out of the corners than on the grass, with the exception of a handful of guys. It takes a little bit of an adjustment to be able to get out of the corner and stop and then recover back to the middle. I think it’s just the movement aspect that allows for aggressive style players to really get the reward more so than on other surfaces.

How are you feeling ahead of your first match against Frenchman Quentin Halys?
It’s funny since being back here, I’ve had probably three or four of the best training days that I’ve had in probably the past few months, like consistently. I like where my game is going into my first round. I think that I’m playing some of the most consistent and solid tennis, at least in preparing for this week. The only thing I can focus on is how I prepare. I’ll focus on how I prepare and then we allow the rest to take care of itself on Tuesday.

I feel really, really good with my preparation. I feel, although coming in last year from Mallorca winning five matches and winning a title there, the confidence was high. But I still try to reflect back on how I play now versus how I played then and I still think I’m a little bit of a better player now. I think I’m more thoughtful. I kind of know a bit more about tennis. I think last year when confidence is high and you have a big game, you can just kind of catch heat. Things were just going well for me. But I think now I’m a bit more calculated. I think I’m a bit more aware of what’s going on.

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Murray is legend of this sport – Kyrgios

Nick Kyrgios calls Andy Murray a “legend of this sport” as he discusses whether the former champion will play at Wimbledon.

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Shang & Zhang make Chinese history at Wimbledon

When play began Monday at The Championships, no Chinese man in the Open Era had ever reached the second round. Shang Juncheng and Zhang Zhizhen wasted little time changing that.

Both Chinese stars advanced to the second round at Wimbledon with straight-sets victories on courts located right next to one another. Shang first defeated qualifier Cristian Garin 7-5, 6-4, 6-4 and Zhang then eliminated another qualifier Maxime Janvier 7-6(4), 6-3, 6-2.

“It’s exciting. I think we’re all excited to win at the biggest stage, especially here in Wimbledon,” Shang told ATPTour.com. “[It is the] first time me playing in the main draw, getting a win here. Also Z was just I think minutes behind. It’s really good that both of us are in the second round. Hopefully we can do more.”

Zhang began his match on Court 5 after Shang started his encounter on Court 6. Fans were able to watch history made on both courts.

“When I stepped on the court I just saw he was next to me. And also during the match I knew what was going on on the other side,” Zhang said. “It’s just right there. Actually when we were tossing the coin I was watching the other side. I was watching the score and then when we were playing I still can see some scores. Also when the fans were screaming, I didn’t know what was going on in the point, but in the end [I heard] they were screaming.”

^{Photo Credit: Francois Nel/Getty Images}
Shang said: “I think I was I was pretty focused. I know the courts are really tight with each other and there are people moving around obviously in between courts, but the overall atmosphere just gets you super focused, I think overall, and you’re just focusing on what’s on your court… It’s probably one of the biggest matches you’re playing in the year, in the first round in Wimbledon. So I think I was I was quite focused.”

When told Zhang had his eye on his court, Shang cracked a smile. “I mean he’s tall enough!” the 19-year-old said of his 6’4″ countryman. “So I guess he can peek over. For me it’s tough because of all the crowd in the middle for sure.”

Both men are happy with their effort Monday, but keen to continue forward at the grass-court major. Shang will next face 2017 Nitto ATP Finals champion and 10th seed Grigor Dimitrov. According to the teen, the key will be to not think about tennis between now and then.

“I think that it’s hard to do because you’re all day in this tennis environment,” Shang said. “But I think we’ve been playing a little cards, Uno… just to get relaxed and then sometimes maybe even watch a movie and then read some books just to get me off thinking about tennis too much. So I get a good night’s sleep and then get ready for the match again.”

Zhang has already thought about his next opponent, Jan-Lennard Struff, who pushed Jannik Sinner to a final-set tie-break in Halle. Zhang is the highest-ranked Chinese player in PIF ATP Rankings history (career-high No. 33) and is the 32nd seed in London.

“I want to keep going but there’s Struff following me. It will be a tough match for the next one because he’s a really good player and especially on the grass,” Zhang said. “I watched the match against Jannik so next one I will say will be really tough for me, even with the seed. I will think he’s seeded.”

For now, the 27-year-old is happy to be through to the second round for the fourth consecutive major.

“Today it was three sets, but it was still quite tough for me in the beginning. Pretty much a lot of big pressure in the first set,” Zhang said. “It’s good. It’s always good to win the first match.”

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How Sinner can seize control of battle for World No. 1 at Wimbledon

Jannik Sinner, who enters Wimbledon as the top seed at a major for the first time, has an opportunity to extend his lead as the No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings.

The Italian begins the grass-court major with a 2,010-point lead over No. 2 Novak Djokovic in the PIF ATP Live Rankings. That gives the 22-year-old a cushion in the No. 1 battle.

Should Djokovic win his eighth title at SW19, he still would not pass Sinner for the No. 1 spot regardless of the top seed’s performance. Even if this year’s Australian Open champion falls in the first round, he will leave London as World No. 1.

PIF ATP Live Rankings entering Wimbledon

One year ago, Sinner both entered and exited The Championships as World No. 8. Now he has an opportunity to strengthen his No. 1 position. 

Should the 2023 Wimbledon semi-finalist claim the title, he would earn at minimum a 2,710-point lead in the PIF ATP Live Rankings. With Alcaraz dropping 2,000 points and Djokovic dropping 1,200 points compared to Sinner’s 720, that limits Alcaraz and Djokovic’s ability to make up ground and gives Sinner an opportunity to add cushion to his lead.

Sinner will face German Yannick Hanfmann in the first round Monday. The Italian leads their Lexus ATP Head2Head series 1-0.

“I’m just trying to get used to it, building my confidence here on this court. That’s it. Thinking about seeding or all the rest, it doesn’t make any sense. Everyone wants to win and show their best here,” Sinner said. “I’m just looking forward to it, to compete, and hopefully I can show also here some good tennis.”

Zverev has moved past Carlos Alcaraz into the No. 3 spot of the PIF ATP Live Rankings because Alcaraz drops 2,000 points as defending Wimbledon champion. The two-time Nitto ATP Finals titlist only trails No. 2 Djokovic by 345 points.

Fewer than 500 points separate live No. 6 Andrey Rublev (4,070) and live No. 11 Stefanos Tsitsipas (3,575). With up to 2,000 points at stake, there could be plenty of movement within the Top 10.

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'There's a chance' – Murray on hopes of playing at Wimbledon

Andy Murray talks to BBC Sport over the media weekend about his chances of playing in the singles in his final Wimbledon.

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Rising star Murray 'born to be on Centre Court'

Sue Barker, Andrew Castle and Tim Henman on the impact of 18-year-old Andy Murray on his first Wimbledon’s Centre Court appearance in 2005.

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Wimbledon stars reveal cheat meals & dream mascots

Coco Gauff, Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka are among the Wimbledon stars to answer BBC Sport questions, including what would be their cheat meal and their dream mascot.

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Mark Lajal: The Estonian who dreamt of racing now plays Alcaraz at Wimbledon

Estonian Mark Lajal was in a car on his way to site Friday, the day after he qualified for Wimbledon. The 21-year-old was enjoying the ride with his mother, coach and the driver, when he received a shock.

“My friend was looking at the live draw when they were picking the [players] and I remember they called, ‘Carlos Alcaraz will play’… and it was like, ‘Number 122, Mark Lajal’,” he told ATPTour.com. “We all started screaming, everyone screamed in our car. I got scared because they started screaming and then it was, ‘Oh my, I’m playing Carlos’.”

The No. 262 player in the PIF ATP Rankings will enjoy a memorable welcome to major main draw action. In his first three attempts to qualify for a Grand Slam tournament, Lajal lost in the first round. Now not only has he qualified, but the Estonian will open the event on Centre Court against the defending champion.

“I don’t know if it really has sunk in yet because it’s incredible. Once I qualified, obviously, it’s a big thing to qualify for me and one of my goals this year was to qualify for a Grand Slam,” Lajal said. “For my first time, I wanted to play someone big, have a big first match. But for some reason, Carlos never crossed my mind. So when I saw Carlos, I was like, ‘Oh my God, I’m playing Carlos’.

“Then my friend told me, ‘You know, you’re going to be opening Centre Court’. I was like, ‘Wait, that’s true!’ That’s tradition. So for me, that’s just unbelievable. I’m going to be playing against Carlos on Centre Court as my first match. I don’t know if it’s sunk in yet. But I’m quite excited, honestly.”

After learning the draw, Lajal was at Wimbledon training venue Aorangi Park with his team. They passed by a court on which Alcaraz was practising with Flavio Cobolli.

“Cobolli hit a huge winner, and then we started to leave,” Lajal said. “Juan Carlos [Ferrero], he comes to me, and he says, ‘Don’t do that on Monday’. I started laughing.”

Lajal and Alcaraz had not met until Saturday, when they briefly crossed paths during Media Day at SW19. The Spaniard is a three-time major champion, while the Estonian is preparing for his first main draw match at a Slam.

It is an exciting moment for a player who was not born to play tennis, but to race. Lajal’s father, Mart, was a motocross rider. His grandfather, Hardi Mets, was a rally driver. Mark’s favourite racer was motocross star Antonio Cairoli. Now he enjoys following his countryman, rally driver Ott Tanak and Formula One star Max Verstappen.

“I don’t remember exactly at what age I started driving. I think I was like three, so I was quite young. But I started off at like two years old, two and a half, I was riding bicycles already, little ones, so I was basically born into it,” Lajal said. “And then my dad put me there and I had my little motorcycle, and I was just doing laps around the house out in the garden. And then as I got older, obviously I grew, I got bigger motorcycles. I was not pushed into it, but it was just a part of the family. It was normal for us to do it.”

Lajal raced in Estonia and was set on following the path his family had paved. But when he was still young, his father went on a trip and everything changed.

“My mom didn’t want to put me into motocross, so she put me into tennis [while he was away] and that’s how we got started,” Lajal said. “I was doing both at the same time. And then as time went on, I kind of just started racing less and playing tennis more. And then at one point, I was just like, ‘I like tennis. I want to play tennis’. My parents were super welcoming. They were like, ‘Yeah, go for it’.”

To this day, Lajal remembers his first tennis practice vividly.

“I was really proud of it. First of all, I was playing right-handed and left-handed, so I had two forehands basically,” Lajal said. “Then after the forehand, I would be spinning after every shot. I just remember the first one really clearly and I was really proud of it. I came home and I was like, ‘Mom, look at my forehand!’”

By 10, Lajal was competing on a national level and was one of the best Estonians in his age group. He played junior tournaments in countries like Finland and Latvia before travelling more starting at 12. Two years later, Lajal moved to the Mouratoglou Tennis Academy, run by Patrick Mouratoglou. He is still based there today.

“From there obviously I got even more dedicated and more serious, but it took longer than I would have liked for me to become actually focused and dedicated,” Lajal said. “At 14, 15, I was still a little bit all over the place and it’s normal when you’re young, but I think at 16 and 17, that’s really when I started really doing my stuff.”

Estonia is not known for its rich tennis history. WTA standout Kaia Kanepi has waved her country’s flag throughout her career. Jurgen Zopp did so on the ATP side, reaching a career-high World No. 71 in 2012. Zopp advanced to the third round at Roland Garros in 2018, but never won a match at Wimbledon.

“Seeing those two amazing players coming from a small country, obviously it’s an inspiration to all of us. But I’d say more, it was Jurgen,” Lajal said. “I was watching him on TV. He was a legend in Estonia. He was big.”

If Lajal defeats Alcaraz, who is one week his elder, he will become the third man in history to upset the defending champion in the first round at Wimbledon and the second Estonian man in history to reach the second round of The Championships.

For those unfamiliar with last year’s Little Rock ATP Challenger Tour champion, he brings a vibrant personality and noticeable energy to the court. “I’m an honest person. I say what I feel. The way I am on court and the way I am outside of court, I’m just my authentic self,” he said.

Fans will also quickly notice his light blonde dreads. The hairstyle back to his early childhood.

“When I was six, my half sister, she did dreads and I was so fascinated. I was like, ‘Mom, I want it, I want it, I need it’. My mom was like it’s just hair, just do it for the summer. So I did it and I loved it and I stayed with it,” Lajal said. “So it’s been with me for a long, long, long time. It has changed, shorter, longer. At one time it was really long and then I cut it off. Now it’s funny also, because every single one of my pro matches, I’ve always played with a hat. And then I had a bad tan line here from the hat.

“I was getting so frustrated. I was just like, ‘I have a week of practice. I’m just going to put up the hair and just get rid of the tanline’. And I kind of just enjoyed it and went with it. And then I was just like, ‘You know what, it’s Wimbledon, you’ve got to make something different. If there’s a place to make something different, it’s Wimbledon’.”

It is a tournament known far beyond the tennis world. Lajal received a tour of the venue from a member of the event’s player relations team and noticed the quote from Rudyard Kipling’s poem If that is displayed above the entrance to Centre Court:

“If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same”

“A lot of players touch the thing before they go on court. And you could see there’s one part that is just used. You can see the wear on it, so I was like I guess this is where to touch it, so I touched it. It’s nice,” Lajal said. “I was really happy. But at the same time, I thought to myself, ‘Okay, I’ve qualified. It’s good. But technically the tournament is just getting started. It’s just the beginning’. So I was happy for I’d say an hour. And then I was back to it. So we celebrated a little bit in the evening, we had a pizza. And then the next day, I was back to it.”

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'Excited' Alcaraz opens Centre Court at Wimbledon

Defending men’s champion Carlos Alcaraz opens play on Centre Court when Wimbledon starts on Monday, with Emma Raducanu and Coco Gauff following.

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Murray wants Wimbledon 'closure' as fitness race goes on

Andy Murray says he is fighting to be fit for a Wimbledon farewell appearance because he wants “a bit of closure”.

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