"I wanted to do it because I loved Federer, now I go to my dad, Why did you let me do that?" - Christopher Eubanks jokes about his one-handed backhand

Christopher Eubanks recently admitted that he changed his backhand from double-handed to single-handed because of his admiration for Roger Federer.

Eubanks enjoyed a dream run at the 2023 Miami Open, where he made it to the quarterfinals after having to qualify for the main draw. Though he lost 6-3, 7-5 to Daniil Medvedev in the last eight, his run at the Masters 1000 tournament will see him enter the top 100 of the ATP rankings for the first time in his career.

During the post-match presser, the 26-year-old was asked about his one-handed backhand, something that isn't very common among American players. Eubanks revealed that his backhand was initially two-handed but that he changed it to a single-handed one when he was around 14 years old.

" I started off two hands on both sides up until the age of about nine or ten. Then I switched to a one-hand forehand. I think at about 14 I went to a one-hand backhand. It's what I have now. Obviously I have had a decent amount of success with it. Gonna make it work. Going to try and make it as good of a one-handed backhand as I can," he said.

Eubanks added that he adopted a one-handed backhand because he loved Federer and that he often joked with his father about it.

"It's a bit of a running joke now between me and some of my friends, my dad, when I switched to the one-handed backhand. I wanted to do it because I loved Federer," he said.

"Now I go to my dad, Why did you let me do that? You had no idea guys would just go throw balls above my shoulder for my entire career. You know, it's how it goes," he added.

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"Overall just continuing the progression of bettering my game as a whole" - Christopher Eubanks on further improvements he can make

Christopher Eubanks in action at the Miami Open

Asked about where he could improve after reaching the top 100 of the ATP rankings, Christopher Eubanks said that he needed to continue doing what he had been doing since qualifying for the 2022 US Open. The 26-year-old stated that he would focus on his game as a whole as every single aspect of it could improve.

"In terms of things that I have to improve, I think it's just continuing to do what I have been doing over the past maybe about seven, eight months. I think that's when I really started to play at a different level. I think it was US Open time, which I quallied in, got my first Grand Slam win, started to piece together some really, really good weeks," Eubanks said.

"I think it's just continuing the same thing," he added. "There is not really anything I can pinpoint to say, oh, this is what has to improve. I think every area of my game can improve. I can always improve my serve, can improve my movement, my volleys. There is no one real thing to pinpoint. Overall just continuing the progression of bettering my game as a whole. That's kind of I think what the focus is going to be."

Following his run in Miami, Eubanks now has a 5-6 win-loss record this season.