Christopher Eubanks recently opened up about finding renewed confidence through conversations with fellow tennis players Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka.
Eubanks secured a remarkable victory over fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas with a 3-6, 7-6(4), 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 scoreline in the fourth round of the Wimbledon Championships on Monday. The win propelled him to his first-ever major quarter-final appearance.
Despite failing to create any break point opportunities in the first three sets, Eubanks capitalized on the Greek's double fault in the ninth game of the fourth set, granting him the crucial break.
The 27-year-old American unleashed two powerful backhand down-the-line winners to convert break points in the final set, ultimately sealing the win.
During the post-match press conference, Christopher Eubanks candidly shared how his friends, Naomi Osaka, and Coco Gauff, played a pivotal role in restoring his confidence in his game.
For quite some time, Eubanks had been plagued by doubts regarding his consistency. However, he stated that Osaka and Gauff have been unwavering in their belief that he truly belongs among the top players.
"I think the biggest thing, it's a common theme amongst both of them, they've been saying for a long time that they feel like I belong at this level. For a long time I questioned, again, whether or not I was consistent enough to play at this level really consistently," Eubanks said.
Christopher Eubanks admitted that he lacked self-belief in his ability to consistently defeat top opponents. However, he said that Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka have been instrumental in boosting his confidence by affirming that he can compete at this high level, emphasizing the importance of belief.
"I knew I could come out on any match and maybe light it up, could cause some guys some trouble. I don't know if I really believed I could put it together match after match after match against quality opponents," he said.
The American shared that being in the presence of both Gauff and Osaka and hearing them discuss their unwavering belief has a contagious effect on him, inspiring him to adopt a similar mindset.
"That's something Coco has been telling me for a long time. Naomi even says the same thing. That's kind of been the main thing of just reinforcing and instilling confidence. Hey, you can play at this level, you just got to believe it. When I'm around them, to hear them talk about their belief, it's a bit infectious. It does rub off on you," Christopher Eubanks added.
Christopher Eubanks will take on Daniil Medvedev in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon 2023
Christopher Eubanks will next face Daniil Medvedev in the quarterfinals of the 2023 Wimbledon Championships on Wednesday.
Eubanks defeated Thiago Monteiro, Cameron Norrie, and Christopher O'Connell, paving his way to the fourth-round encounter against Stefanos Tsitsipas. The American then fought hard to win the match with a 3-6, 7-6 (4), 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 scoreline.
Daniil Medvedev, meanwhile, began his Wimbledon campaign with a victory over Arthur Fery and continued his winning streak by defeating Adrian Mannarino and Marton Fucsovics.
In the fourth round, he faced Jiri Lehecka. Medvedev broke Lehecka's serve in the very first game of the match. He maintained his advantage by securing another break of serve, ultimately clinching the first set.
Although Lehecka put up a fight in the second set, Medvedev managed to break his serve twice, ultimately claiming the set. Unfortunately, the Czech was unable to continue after this point, leading to Medvedev's victory and advancement into the quarterfinals with a 6-4, 6-2, ret. scoreline.
Daniil Medvedev currently holds a 1-0 advantage over Christopher Eubanks in their head-to-head matches. Their most recent encounter took place at the 2023 Miami Open, where Medvedev won in straight sets.
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