Christopher Eubanks has been awarded the fan-voted Breakthrough Inspiration Award at Wimbledon for his odds-defying run to the Grand Slam quarter-finals.
Eubanks enjoyed a strong run to the final eight with wins against the likes of home-crowd favourite Cameron Norrie and world number five on the ATP Tour, Stefanos Tsitsipas. However, the American player was eventually defeated by Danill Medvedev in a hard-fought five-set contest.
As a reward for his entertaining play and for taking on some of tennis' biggest names, Eubanks was given the Breakthrough Inspiration Award, as chosen by the public in an online vote. When reflecting on his best-ever Wimbledon performance, Eubanks was full of nostalgia and said he would never forget this year's Grand Slam in London.
"Thank you for allowing me to fulfil my childhood dream. Thank you to all the family, friends, and fans who reached out and showed support. Wimby 2023 will always have a special place in my heart."
Getting to the quarter-finals was a big feat for Eubanks, who had never previously progressed past the Wimbledon qualifiers during previous editions at the All-England Club. It was also the American's best-ever finish at a Grand Slam after he reached just the second round at this year's Australian Open.
For the last four years, the OPPO Breakthrough Inspiration Award has been a recognition for players who entertain and upset the odds at Wimbledon. Some of the other players included in this year's shortlist included the 16-year-old WTA player Mirra Andreeva, while Marta Kostyuk and Jiri Lehecka were also on the list.
However, Eubanks was the clear winner of the Breakthrough Inspiration Award in 2023, as the 27-year-old received around 70% of the public vote online. In addition, the American player is the oldest-ever recipient of the accolade, while compatriot Coco Gauff was the first-ever player to win the award back in 2019 as she reached the fourth round aged just 15.
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