“It was incredible, it is kind of tough to put it into words,” Chris Eubanks said after winning his maiden ATP Challenger Tour title in Leon.
But, to understand the 21-year-old’s recent ATP Challenger Tour success in Mexico, you first have to acknowledge the process. For Eubanks, that means revisiting his college roots at Georgia Tech. Eubanks spent three years building his game at the Atlanta-based university before turning pro just five months ago.
“[College] instilled the game style I have now,” said Eubanks. “Playing a big game and being committed to it has probably been the biggest [factor].”
Dividing attention between studies and court time may have led to an unwanted dilemma for many, but, after recent successes, the Georgia native now sees the benefits of his demanding college schedule.
“With Georgia Tech being a pretty tough academic school, being able to manage my time pretty well has also been a huge asset to me and I have to attribute a lot of that to Georgia Tech,” said Eubanks.
That mix of experience, blended with newfound levels of professionalism, has led the 6’7” star to success during back-to-back Challenger events in Mexico. Eubanks has broken into the Top 200 of the ATP Rankings for the first time in his career after a runner-up finish in Guadalajara and a first crown in Leon.
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Eubanks won four matches to reach his first Challenger final in Guadalajara two weeks ago, before losing to El Salvador’s Marcelo Arevalo 6-4, 5-7, 7-6(4). But, not to be deterred by the disappointment of coming so close to achieving a landmark win, Eubanks once again put himself back in position to clinch his maiden title the very next week in Leon.
The American dropped just one set en route to the final, which was once again decided in a third-set tie-break. This time, Eubanks capitalised on his chance, defeating Australia’s John-Patrick Smith 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(4) to lift the trophy.
“To come back the next week and finish it off with a good performance was incredible,” reflected Eubanks. “I will remember it for the rest of my life.”
Eubanks, who only started competing outside of his home country in February, was surprised by the speed of his success en route to a first title at Challenger level, but admitted he believed it was always a possibility.
“I didn’t think I would have the success this quickly, but I knew I had a pretty big game and on any given day you never know what can happen,” he added. “The serve was the big thing. I was serving really well and I found myself playing pretty confidently from the ground. The serve from the very first day felt incredible, so I think I have to attribute a lot of my success to the serve.”
However, there was one final factor to Eubanks’ success story: his new fans in Mexico. The American was clear in his belief that the support he received on his two-week trip played a major part in his success.
“The fans in Guadalajara were awesome [and] the fans in Leon were awesome. They really cheered me on,” said Eubanks. “Mexico in general has been great. I have really enjoyed my time down here and I look forward to coming back.”
