Chris Eubanks said he felt like an “honorary Brit” after knocking out Andy Murray’s conqueror before his ever-growing fan club.
In his first Wimbledon, the 6’7 American toppled No.5 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas 3-6 7-6 3-6 6-4 6-4 on Court Two. Eubanks had broken British hearts by eliminating home number one Cam Norrie in the second round.
But days later he found himself the darling of SW19 by booking a heavyweight quarter-final against Daniil Medvedev. Eubanks said: “The fans here have really, really been behind me - even in my match against Cam. And since then they've really, really gotten behind me, which feels great.
“I do feel a bit like an honorary Brit and I hope they come out in the quarterfinals and show me a little bit more support.”
Eubanks, who took a job as a TV commentator last year before his own playing career burst into life, is guaranteed a £340,000 pay day win or lose against the world number three. More important to him is that his fairy tale rise from nowhere continues.
“It hasn't really set in yet that hundreds of thousands of people have come out and they really want to see me do well,” he said. “This is absolutely insane, a dream come true.
"I've tried to block everything out and focus on the next match. But as cliched as it sounds, it's surreal, it's unbelievable. I can't believe this.
“For a long time I questioned whether or not I was consistent enough to play at this level. I knew I could come out in any match and maybe light it up, 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.
"That's something Coco (Gauff) has been telling me for a long time. Naomi (Osaka) even says the same thing. That's been the main thing, just reinforcing and instilling confidence."
