From Hull council estate to Wimbledon, Paul Jubb hoping to be an inspiration

In 2019, the 20-year-old became the first player from these shores to win a singles title on the United States Collegiate circuit, before going on to qualify for Wimbledon.

Jubb’s exploits, and the burgeoning potential which they showcased, helped secure him a place on the Lawn Tennis Association’s pro scholarship programme – the highest level of support offered to developing players by the sport’s national governing body.

In addition to this, he also impressed Andy Murray sufficiently for the three-time Grand Slam winner and double Olympic champion to sign him to his agency – 77 Sports Management.

With Murray mentoring him while he hones his skills on the LTA scholarship, Jubb seems well-set. His future appears bright.

Yet, the journey to where he now finds himself hasn’t been particularly straightforward, something that is perfectly highlighted by the fact that he had to go from East Yorkshire to SW19 via America.

Jubb’s parents both died when he was very young and he was raised by his grandmother, Valerie, on a Hull council estate.

Try and think of how many other black tennis players from working-class backgrounds this country has produced, and it is a challenge.

Jubb, however, is writing his own story. Having crossed the Atlantic to study at the University of South Carolina, he followed in the footsteps of the likes of John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors when he became NCAA champion.

That success ultimately paved the way for his wild-card entry into Wimbledon last summer, and he is hoping that what he has achieved will inspire other young men and women from non-traditional tennis backgrounds to excel in the sport.

“Yeah, definitely,” Jubb replies when asked if he sees potential for inspiration in his own journey.

“It is not traditional. Hopefully I can have more success in the future, and more kids around the country can see that you don’t have to grow up in a traditional background to get far in the sport.

“I would certainly like to think – maybe I am a bit now, but even more so in the future – that I can be a good role model, and kids can look up to me and see my story and how far I’ve come from where I’ve come from.”

In Murray, Jubb has a confidente who is also a little bit different from your stereotypical tennis player.

But it is the Scot’s heart-on-his-sleeve, fiercely competitive, feisty style that really appeals to Jubb.

“Everyone’s different in their own way,” he adds.

“I think that aspect to him just shows why he is so great and so good. You see how far he is willing to go to win. You see how big his heart is when he is playing.

“He puts all of his emotions into it. That’s how it should be. If you really want it, then you’re gonna have lots of emotions, so to me it shows how bad he wants which I really like about him.

“It’s always been an aspect that has drawn me to Andy because I love that fire that he has. It’s something different – the passion that he has for the game, the will to win, it just comes out of him when he is playing.

“A lot of people talk about the complaining he does on court but it just shows how much he cares and I love that fire about him. He is not dull to watch.”

As a 13-year-old, Jubb watched Murray beat Novak Djokovic in the 2013 Wimbledon final on television and admits that he never expected to find himself working alongside such a giant of the sport seven years later.

Naturally, he is excited about what is to come.

“I’ve always watched a lot of Andy’s highlights on YouTube, he’s such a great tennis player of this generation,” Jubb says.

“I remember watching the Wimbledon final against Novak. I would have had no idea [that he would end up being mentored by Murray], really. Just him reaching out and having met him and seen what a nice guy he is, that was very exciting in itself and now actually being able to work with him is very, very, exciting.

“I’m super excited for the future.”

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