SOUTH FULTON, Ga. — An Atlanta area tennis player is not only taking Wimbledon by storm, but also inspiring a group of young tennis players who are learning on the same courts he once played on.
Westlake High and Georgia Tech graduate Christopher Eubanks will play in Wimbledon’s Quarterfinals Wednesday morning.
Some rising tennis stars said they are so proud of him and he is giving them hope they too can perform on an international stage.
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Channel 2′s Tom Jones watched the players practice at the South Fulton Tennis Center with an extra pep in their step on Tuesday. They told Channel 2 Action News Eubanks is showing them how to succeed on a big stage.
“He just inspired me to do more. And just work harder because not every match is gonna be given to you and he had to work,” 15-year-old Makai Sales said.
Sales said she was on the edge of her seat watching Eubanks last match.
“You could see in his eyes he was kind of determined to win the 5th set,” she pointed out.
Eubanks once played on the same courts Sales and the others are practicing on. They said he returns to hit balls, teach them the game and teach them about life.
“It’s amazing to see how someone that I know, someone that I’ve met personally, can go that far,” Michael Sales said.
This group is a part of the South Atlanta Community Tennis Association’s Team of Excellence. “Chris is our ambassador,” Coach Sam Kennedy said, pointing out Eubanks is their celebrity ambassador.
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The program is designed to teach kids about tennis, but there’s much more being taught.
“And what we do is we use tennis and education to enhance the lives of at-risk kids,” Kennedy said.
Kamran Mcintosh-Ross who is 19, said seeing Eubanks perform so well on an international stage makes him think he can get there as well.
“His Wimbledon run is definitely historical. Definitely empowering to see another black person from Atlanta doing great things,” he said.
The program gives out scholarships and organizers say they have sent about 75 students to colleges and universities over the years.
All eyes at the tennis center will be glued to the television Wednesday morning as Eubanks shoots for another upset win.
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