Chris Eubanks has the potential to be a worldwide star after his breakthrough at Wimbledon, according to former American number one James Blake.
The 27–year-old had never made it past the second round at a grand slam until his amazing run in SW19, where he has knocked out last year’s semi-finalist Cameron Norrie and fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas on his way to a quarter-final against Daniil Medvedev.
Although the American – who won his first ATP Tour title in Majorca before Wimbledon – has been on tour for some time, his profile has exploded in the United States.
And Blake, who reached a career-high of fourth in the world rankings, has backed him to compete at the very top of the men’s game.
“He has become a superstar back home, which is great to see because he just deserves it, he is the most genuine guy,” said Blake.
“He’s taken advantage of his huge moment, he played so well last week in Majorca and now just playing with that confidence he is going to go far and I do think he has a chance against Medvedev.
“He is playing free and loose and you can see what can happen when you have got a big game and play with a lot of confidence.
“He has got to be a contender now to become a worldwide star, he has got the personality for it.”
Eubanks’ run at Wimbledon means he will now get star billing at the US Open next month and Blake has backed him to embrace it.
“It is going to be new for him but he is going to be one of the stars there, he might be on the side of a bus, he might be up on billboards,” said Blake, who mentored Eubanks earlier on in his career.
“And for him a year ago to be playing Challengers in Korea and toiling away, to be a star in New York is going to be hopefully a life-changing experience for him in a positive way.
“I hope he enjoys being a superstar because that is what he is in the making.”
Kim Clijsters has also played a role in Eubanks’ development after giving him some advice.
“It’s all his credit, I didn’t do anything, just send a few text messages,” she said.
“We’ve gotten to know each other well since we played World Team Tennis together.
“He’s a great guy, a very open mind. We had really long conversations talking about my experiences in tennis when I was a teenager to still being around now.
“He wants to learn. It’s just great to see he’s doing so well. He’s enjoying it.
