In a sport that is so often focused on youth, two journeymen have spent the past week and a half at the All-England Club reminding the world that it’s never too late for your big break.
To be fair, neither Christopher Eubanks (27 years of age) nor Roman Safiullin (a couple weeks shy of his 26th birthday) should be considered old by any measure. However, when seven players among the current Top 10 of the ATP Tour rankings are aged 25 and younger, making a major career breakthrough on the other side of the quarter-century mark can be considered “late.”
Yet, here they both are, standing as two of the eight Wimbledon men’s quarterfinalists. To say this is new terrain for Eubanks and Safiullin would be an understatement, given that neither the American nor the Russian had ever advanced past the second round of a Major or earned a main draw victory at Wimbledon.
Let’s look at the unlikely journey of two of the biggest stories from the Championships, each of whom is looking to become the first unseeded Wimbledon victor since Goran Ivanisevic’s fairytale run in 2001.
Christopher Eubanks
Somewhat lost in a wave of deep U.S. men’s tennis talent that currently boasts ten players in the Top 60, Eubanks is doing his best to stand out over the grass court season. But even after earning his first career ATP title at the Mallorca grass event and reaching a career-high No. 43, few would’ve expected this type of statement.
The Atlanta native has deployed an aggressive chip-and-charge game, along with plenty of moxie, to advance to the final eight. During a five-set marathon in the round of 16 that saw him knock off No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas, Eubanks implored the crowd to get loud at various times and even cupped his hand to his ear after winning big points. As such, he’s been embraced by the British faithful despite ousting hometown hero and No. 12 seed Cameron Norrie earlier in the tournament.
Even as the last American man standing, there shouldn’t be much pressure on a player who has already secured a career-best pay day and a treasure trove of ranking points. Bringing that same confidence and crowd engagement into his quarterfinal against No. 3 seed Daniil Medvedev could get the fans behind him in yet another underdog battle against the sometimes-prickly Russian.
Roman Safiullin
Safiullin was one of the very last direct entries into the Wimbledon draw, narrowly avoiding a path through qualifying. He has made the most of what is just the second direct main draw entry into a Grand Slam of his career, earning wins over No. 20 Roberto Bautista-Agut and Corentin Moutet before knocking off No. 26 Denis Shapovalov to earn his place in the final eight.
Those who have paid attention to Safiullin’s 2023 season may not be quite so surprised by his run this fortnight. After winning the Koblenz Challenger early in the year, he enjoyed a productive clay court season that included back-to-back round of 32 Masters finishes out of qualifying in Madrid and Rome. Unfortunately, he and coach Andrey Kuznetsov reportedly forgot to register for French Open qualifying draw eligibility.
Safiullin is now working on putting the Roland Garros mishap behind him, advancing to the round of 16 in Mallorca and suddenly being a Wimbledon quarter-finalist. Regardless of how he fares in Tuesday’s match against No. 8 Jannik Sinner, Safiullin is poised for a new career-high ranking after bouncing in and out of the Top 100 this year.
It’s fitting that Eubanks and Safiullin stand as the only two players remaining who aren’t top-eight seeds. Their fellow quarterfinalists may have greater pedigrees and more big match experience, but the unseeded duo are endearing themselves to fans and have nothing to lose. They may still be dangerous, yet.
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
