By Randy Walker
@TennisPublisher
Paul Jubb of the University of South Carolina, the first ever player from Britain to win an NCAA singles title, will likely not get a main draw wild card entry into the U.S Open. While the winner of this event had traditionally earned this right, over the last 15 years, the U.S. Tennis Association has only awarded the winner of the ultimate tournament in American collegiate tennis an entry into its national championship event when it was won by an American.
Given that Jubb hails from another Grand Slam tournament nation, does he feel he should get a wild card into Wimbledon?
“I wouldn’t deny it,” said Jubb after his 6-3, 7-6(2) win over Nuno Borges of Mississippi State and Portugal Saturday in the NCAA final at the USTA National Campus in Orlando.
“It is what it is,” he said regarding the U.S. Open wild card reality. “I’m obviously hoping this is not the peak of my career by any means. I’m going to do that best I can to just keep striving forward. I do not want this to be the peak of my career whatsoever, so I’ve just got to keep working so hard, to try and make the transition into the pro game.”
Jubb, a junior from Hull, England, is the first player from the University of South Carolina to win an NCAA title. The six-foot, 141-pound player has overcome much adversity in his short life, being orphaned at the age of 4 and raised by his grandmother.
Jubb has only played in nine career events on the ITF Futures/World Tennis Tour in his career. Last summer, the last time he played on the entry-level circuit, he reached two semifinals as a qualifier in Slovakia and a final as a qualifier in Vilnius, Lithuania. Those results earned him an ATP singles ranking of No. 717 at the time. Jubb will continue to play more pro events this summer, with likely increased opportunities presented to him based on his NCAA singles championship, even if one of them may not be a main draw slot in the U.S. Open.
Jubb’s post-NCAA final comments can be found below.
QUESTION: So, you just knocked off the number one seed, number one player in the country, Player of the Year, to win a national championship. How does that feel?
PAUL JUBB: Unbelievable. I think just overcoming the mental part of it today, just believing I could win after losing to him two times already this season, I think that was the biggest part. But yeah, it feels unbelievable.
QUESTION: You said lost to him twice this year. He hadn’t dropped a set all tournament, yet you take him in two sets. What was working for you today, and what was your game plan coming in? How did you execute it so well?
PAUL JUBB: Being aggressive with my feet was the main thing. Because I’m always playing my best when I’m so intense with my feet going into the ball. My tempo’s so high, and the last two times I played him, I had him on the edge, so close, and that was what was working for me last time. I just had to sustain it longer. And be a bit more aggressive, when I could take control of the match. That’s what I tried to do today, and did it.
QUESTION: What were you feeling on that first match point you had, were you, it was a decisive point, you rain around backhand on the second serve return, and then you basically hit it off your frame, what were you thinking at that point?
PAUL JUBB: A lot of things. I told myself straight after, sort of being confident, just have to hit the backhand, but yeah, forehand’s my weapon and I was just half in, half out of committing. Yeah, that’s what happened. Had to just block it out of my mind and just get straight back on the horse and luckily I managed to do that.
QUESTION: Talk about how you got to South Carolina from Britain. What was the process of how you got to Columbia?
PAUL JUBB: One of the main LTA coaches, [James Frommen 00:01:58] Kyle Edmund’s old coach. I was working with him at the time. He knew (USC) Josh Goffi. He told him about me and Josh was recruiting in England, down in London at the time. And I was up Hull just training, and he said, “Come visit me.” And Josh took some time out of his schedule to come up to Hull, to come watch me train and come talk to me, and then things just got rolling from there. Luckily, and I’m so thankful, Josh took a chance with me, because I wasn’t a top junior in the world or anything like that. I’m forever grateful for that.
QUESTION: In your previous two matches against him, you had also taken the first set. Did you have to remind yourself of anything after winning the first set again today?
PAUL JUBB: Yeah, well, the last time I played him, well, the first time we played, I took the first set. It was like the awkward match because we had the day in between, things got postponed with the weather. The second set went by really, really quick, and I had lost all momentum, but the second time we played, it was a bit half in, half out, and I could have been more aggressive. And after the match, the one thing I said was, if I ever get in that stage again with him, if I’m going to lose a second set, it’s going to be from me being aggressive and taking it to him. And there I could have no regrets, and that’s what I did well today. Some parts I could have been a bit more proactive, but for the main part it was an improvement from last time, for sure.
QUESTION: I was just going to say, you let out a few screams there at the end. What was going through your mind and what kind of brought that bubbling out of you?
PAUL JUBB: Just, it’s been a long week, and long, long season. Worked so hard. Just being, working so hard throughout the whole year and get better, and not let off the gas. And losing to someone twice and beating him when it matters the most, just so much relief and emotions coming out, and just so thankful I could get the win in front of all the people who came out and watched me today, and I know so many people are supporting me back home. Yeah, just so happy.
QUESTION: Shows the on again, off again relationship with this tournament in receiving a U.S. Open wild card, but mainly for American winners, do you feel like you should get a wild card into Wimbledon for winning this tournament?
PAUL JUBB: I wouldn’t deny it, but I know that’s not the case. But, yeah, it is what it is. I’m obviously hoping this is not the peak of my career by any means. I’m going to do that best I can to just keep striving forward. I do not want this to be the peak of my career whatsoever, so I’ve just got to keep working so hard, to try and make the transition into the pro game, so that’s what I’m going to do, yeah.
QUESTION: You’ve played some ITF’s, right?
PAUL JUBB: Yeah, last year, last summer, I played a few futures. I won one and semi finaled twice. Yeah, so I’ve played a few. And that was a great experience, and I’m just looking to do that again this summer.
QUESTION: Did any of that help you as you went into this season?
PAUL JUBB: Yeah, I mean, after last spring season, I had a great season at two, finishing up one, and going into the summer, I built of that really well and had an even better summer, and it helped me come back in the fall confident, and I came back in the fall and had some good results, and won regionals. Just kept things moving in the right direction, so that’s been the story, really, ever since, last spring season, just, things have been moving really well, and I’ve just stayed on myself.
QUESTION: What are your immediate plans after this? I know you want to enjoy this, but do you have a plan what you’re doing this summer and going forward?
PAUL JUBB: Just got to plan, schedule, to see what tournaments I can play and stuff. I’m literally flying back to England in two days, Monday, so I’ve got to go back to pack all my bags and stuff. But yeah, just, I’ve to got to plan out what tournaments to play and stuff like that. But yeah, definitely looking to play on the pro circuit.
QUESTION: Could you also talk about how you got started in tennis in Britain?
PAUL JUBB: Yeah, around four or five years old in primary school, very first year, there was a local tennis coach, came in, did after school tennis club. And I attended that, and then they asked me to go to train at the club for a few sessions, because they saw some potential. And yeah, started going there twice a week, and then one of the coaches there at the time, Johnny Carmichael, I’ve known him ever since five years old, four or five years old. He moved to Northfield, which is the main club where I trained until I came to college. I moved there after a few years at the local tennis club, to take it a bit more serious. Worked with Johnny ever since, ever since I came to South Carolina, he was my rock and still is my rock ever since. So yeah.
