By Sam Crenshaw, Special Contributor to Tennis Panorama News
(July 23, 2023) ATLANTA, GEORGIA –
For the players of the ATP tour, their annual stop in Atlanta is like no other. Atlantic Station is a retail, residential, and entertainment venue located in the shadows of the downtown Atlanta skyline. For Atlanta native, Chris Eubanks, it feels just like coming home. Eubanks made his ATP debut there in 2015 while still a student at nearby Georgia Tech . You might say that things are a little different this time .
“I was gone for about 3 months,” says Eubanks. “An ATP title and major quarterfinal were not on my checklist when I left. It has been fun. I’m trying to get acclimated again, and it feels like I am settling into my routines again. I’m ready to treat this like another tournament and keep my best foot moving forward.”
He makes it sound so easy and it just might be. The 27-year-old, seemed poised and very comfortable in the bright spotlight of Wimbledon. His amazing run to the quarterfinal round after his first ATP tour title at Mallorca ,was the stuff that dreams are made of. There is a new prospective on life and the game.
“I look at myself a little bit differently,” says Eubanks. “I think that when I’m going into a grand slam, now I expect a little more from myself. I know what my capabilities are and what I can do. Before Mallorca I would enter a ATP 250 not feeling like I could win it . Now I have shown myself that I can. Its just more of a mental adjustment of how I view myself.”
The Atlanta Open is played just blocks away from the Georgia Tech campus, where Eubanks was a college All American. He grew up on the city’s south side and went to Westlake High School , the same school that produced football Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton. Eubanks usually sports a cap representing an Atlanta sports team and he is proud of his hometown, but was reluctant to believe just how proud his hometown was of him.
“I didn’t understand it and didn’t believe it,” says Eubanks.”I had some friends try and tell me ‘Man, you don’t understand, you’re all over the news in Atlanta.’ I said ‘Come on guys, maybe the second thing in the sports section. No way ! I’m going to some of my favorite restaurants and people have come up and made a point to say congratulations, it was fun watching your run at Wimbledon . I’m thinking , man, Atlanta really paid attention. They really enjoyed following . That, right now, means more to me .It wasn’t just the tennis community in Atlanta, it was Atlanta as a whole.”
The Atlanta Open has a tradition of extending a wild card into the main draw to a area college tennis player to play on Tuesday night of tournament week. It’s called College Night and Eubanks used the wild card to make his ATP tournament debut. As fate would have it, he will be playing on Tuesday night again this year against this year’s college wild card recipient, Georgia Tech’s Andres Martin .
Martin , who grew up north of the city , played in the event last year and got his first ATP match win . He is coming off an impressive college season and is excited to be back for College Night .
“Playing last year was very emotional for me says Martin. “I wasn’t expecting to win . I had no expectations going in. To come back here again is a huge honor. I’m lucky enough to get the wild card. I’m really Blessed with this opportunity. I’m really excited.”
When the Georgia Tech football team takes the field, they are always led by the Ramblin’ Wreck. A 1930 Ford Model A Coupe. When a Georgia Tech player takes part in College Night at the Atlanta Open, it has become a tradition for them to receive a ride in the Ramblin’ Wreck. It’s Andres Martin’s turn to ride in the legendary vehicle, but he might pick up Chris Eubanks on the way to stadium court. Call it the Yellow Jacket Takeover!! There will be a lot of buzzing going on at the Atlanta Open Tuesday night .
Sam Crenshaw is an Emmy-winning sports reporter who is the founder of PeachtreeSports.com. Follow him on twitter at @Samcsamcrenshaw23
