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

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

The American, who upset Stefanos Tsitsipas on the way, reflects on one of the best moments of his career, recalling his earliest memories of Wimbledon watching Andy Roddick and his love for grass court culture.

What is your first memory of watching Wimbledon?

My earliest memory was probably ‘Breakfast at Wimbledon’. Wimbledon is a great Slam to wake up as a kid on the East Coast at six or seven in the morning and see the opening on ESPN and see the finals on NBC as a kid. Those are my first memories and then the matches, that epic final between Federer and Nadal in 08. I also remember Roddick’s two finals. I remember watching it as an American thinking, ‘Oh man, an American can win Wimbledon. He played Federer in the final and he couldn’t, but still amazing games.

So those finals and Rafa against Roger were probably the only two memories left. But overall just the joy of summer waking up early and the joy of seeing those first games go on and watching them bounce from court to court is a memory I will always cherish.

What was your impression of the aura of the place when you first arrived?

I had played the qualifiers three or four times and heard a few players say that when you pull points, it feels a little different when you get to the site, so I didn’t know what to expect. And coming here last year and hearing everything for the first time as a player was really amazing. To see how well everything is done. There is not a piece of grass in the area, everyone is very organized, very respectful, very nice, things just move like clockwork here. It was definitely the kind of moment to say, ‘Oh wow, I’m here from a player’s point of view’. It was really special.

Can you show more about your QF journey last year and beat Stefanos Tsitsipas?

Tsitsipas’ game is the first one that I will say is the first time that I realized that things are very different. On the way to the game, we walked from the main players’ area through the grounds, went around the back of the third field and entered the second field. It was good. Security was there. Some fans wait and say, ‘Hey’, but everything is OK. Then when I walked out the door after the game, I think that was the first time I noticed that things were different.

When the doors opened, there were already many people waiting outside. More people than I have ever seen asking for autographs, pictures. The security guard gently grabbed my arms and we just ran to get back to the players’ area. And I think just seeing those doors open and seeing how different it was was when I had that ‘Aha moment’ of, ‘Wow, things are a little bit different. This is really crazy’. And the way the match was going, just going down, it’s topsy turvy. I lost the first, I won the second, I lost the third. Then I won two straight and played really good tennis to do it.

The crowd really followed me. We produced some really exciting tennis. I was very happy, obviously, with how things were going. That particular game is the biggest. It was really special.

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What are your thoughts on the different cultures at Wimbledon?

I think the culture is what makes Wimbledon so special. That’s why many people look at it as the biggest competition in the world. I’m not a fan of all white any other part of the year because I feel like it’s too easy to mess it up.

When I was a kid playing junior tournaments I never wore all white because I knew if I ate lunch, I would get spilled on it and it was very easy to see. But there’s something special about wearing all white here that I think makes it really cool. I love the culture here. That’s why I think a lot of players hold it in high regard.

What is your favorite thing about playing on the lawn?

I think serving and predicting has always been a good recipe for success on the lawn. I think as a backhand, using the slice is very important for me to keep the ball down, force opponents to hit high and then it’s a little difficult to follow through. I think that’s what happens on a clay court or a hard court, the players are more comfortable defending outside the corners than on the grass, except for a few guys. It takes a bit of adjusting to be able to get out of the corner and stop and get back to the center. I think it’s just the movement aspect that allows aggressive stylists to be more rewarded than in other areas.

How do you feel before your first match against Frenchman Quentin Halys?

It’s funny since I’ve been back here, I’ve probably had three or four of the best training days I’ve had in probably the last few months, just like consistency. I like where my game is going in my first round. I think I’m playing consistent and strong tennis, at least in preparation for this week. The only thing I can focus on is how I prepare. I will focus on my preparation and let others take care of themselves on Tuesday.

I feel really good about my preparation. I feel, even though I came in last year from Mallorca winning five games and winning the title there, the confidence was high. But I still try to look back on how I play now compared to how I played then and I still think I’m a better player now. I think I’m overthinking it. I like to know more about tennis. I think last year when the confidence is high and you have a big game, you can just catch the heat. Things were going well for me. But I think now I count more. I think I know a little bit of what’s going on.