Before Christopher Eubanks became the world-beating player fans grew to know during the grass-court season, the American was known for his magnetic personality.
Earlier this year at the Dallas Open, the tournament’s social media team asked WTA stars Sloane Stephens and Madison Keys about their countryman.
“Oh Lord,” Stephens said. “Don’t even get me started on that giraffe. We love Chris. We love Daddy Longlegs.”
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Eubanks was the centre of attention in the locker room long before he was under the spotlight on court. The 27-year-old is longtime friends with the likes of Stephens, Keys, Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka. The WTA stars have been thrilled to see Eubanks’ rise.
“It’s been great,” Stephens told ATPTour.com. “Obviously I love Chris and I’ve known him for so long and I think being able to see someone who works so hard like Chris, [who is] what you would call a student of the game — he eats, breathes, and sleeps tennis — to see him be able to do well and have the results that every tennis player dreams of is pretty incredible. And I think we all are just so happy for him.”
Eubanks this year has been widely recognised for his on-court success, having enjoyed a dream run to his first ATP Tour title in Mallorca and reached his first major quarter-final at Wimbledon. Ahead of the US Open, Eubanks appeared on three major national morning shows in New York and received a behind-the-scenes tour of Broadway show Hamilton, where he met Lin-Manuel Miranda.
However, Eubanks is still known by his friends for his personality off the court. His Pepperstone ATP Ranking might be different thanks to his results, but his bubbly, friendly spirit remains exactly the same.
“He’s literally one of the nicest people in the world. So obviously, to have him week in and week out on the Tour and being able to see him and just have good vibes all around,” Stephens said. “I think he is a person [where] you can feel when that they’re a good person. He’s always been good energy, good vibes. And he’s always super nice to be around.”
Frances Tiafoe and Christopher Eubanks train together in Cincinnati. Photo: ATP.
One of Eubanks’ closest friends on the ATP Tour is Frances Tiafoe. Throughout the North American hard-court summer, they have been joking with one another like normal.
“It’s great. It’s great seeing him getting notoriety for it,” Tiafoe said. “I want to see him do well, continue to do well. He’s a great friend of mine and I’m happy to see him doing so well.”
Keys often trained with Eubanks in Orlando as the former Georgia Tech star worked his way towards the top of the sport. She had a front-row seat to witness Eubanks’ work ethic and has been happy to see those efforts pay off.
“I think Chris is just a really nice guy. I sometimes like to call him the mayor,” Keys said. “He talks to everyone and he knows everyone and he’s just a really easy, lovable guy. And I think that shows because I don’t think you could find anyone that would have anything bad to say [about him].”
Eubanks earned direct entry into the US Open for the first time and will be seeded at a major for the first time as the 28th seed. The American will begin his tournament Monday against Soonwoo Kwon.