Prior to just a few months ago, Chris Eubanks was mostly known by fans for his infectious smile, calm demeanor, and frequent appearances on Tennis Channel as a commentator rather than for his play on tour.
Since turning pro in the summer of 2017, the former Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket (2014-17) spent years traveling from Challenger to Challenger looking to build up enough points to crack the Top 100 of the ATP Singles Rankings which had been just out of reach much of his career.
Not finding the desired results, Eubanks had begun exploring other career options during down times from the ATP Challenger Tour, and even began doing commentary for Tennis Channel which would ultimately credit to seeing the game from a new perspective.
No matter the frustrations of his career to this point, the two time ITA All-American, ACC Player of the Year, and ITA Arthur Ashe Jr. Sportsmanship Award winner, he never lost sight of his ultimate goal of cracking the Top 100 and had his first ATP Tour breakthrough in 2023 at the Miami Open.
Having to qualify for the main draw, Eubanks earned wins over Denis Kudla, Borna Coric, Gregoire Barrere, and Adrian Mannarino before falling to the eventual champion, Daniil Medvedev in the Quarterfinals.
This result in Miami helped Eubanks clear the Top 100 hurdle for the first time in his career and allowed him to find a new confidence in his game that he has only built on in the months since.
Heading into the grass court season, Eubanks was faced with another hurdle as the now Top 100 player had never qualified four Wimbledon in four attempts, and had very little practice on the surface that has historically given many Americans challenges.
Earning a direct entry into the ATP 250 Tournament in Mallorca, Eubanks found his footing on the tricky surface, taking down Alex Michelsen (incoming Georgia freshman), Ben Shelton (Florida), and Arthur Rinderknech (Texas A&M) to reach the Semifinals of an ATP Tour level event for the first time in his career.
Winning over Lloyd Harris in the Semifinals, Eubanks made quick work of Adrian Mannarino in the Finals to win his first ATP Title as he headed into Wimbledon with another surge of confidence.
Qualifying for his first Wimbledon Main Draw based on his new Top 100 ranking, Eubanks would take the world by storm during his two weeks at the All England Club, making a run for the ages while finishing as the last remaining American in the draw.
Reaching the Quarterfinals, Eubanks advanced past the second round of a Grand Slam for the first time in his career, beat his first top ten opponent, and with one more win would have become the first American to make the Semifinals at Wimbledon in their first attempt since John McEnroe.
Eubanks set a new Wimbledon record for the most winners hit during the Championship and caught the attention of the whole world, doing interviews with Good Morning America, while outlets like the New York Times and Sports Illustrated were covering his astounding run.
This breakthrough has been everything Eubanks has been working toward since he first stepped on campus at Georgia Tech as a bright-eyed freshman back in 2014. Eubanks now ranks No. 43 in the world and will have a shot at becoming a seeded player at the 2023 US Open.
As one of the most respected players on tour, Eubanks has shown no signs of slowing down, and will continue to make his climb up the rankings after he showed he belongs amongst the worlds best.
