Wimbledon: Britain’s Paul Hubb handed wild card after NCAA success
Jubb, ranked 579, has demonstrated strong form on the British grass so far this season, winning his first match at second-tier Challenger level in Nottingham last week and two more in Ilkley this week
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Your support makes all the difference.Paul Jubb will make his debut at Wimbledon after being awarded a wild card.
The 19-year-old from Hull shot to prominence last month when he became the first British winner of the National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s singles title in the United States.
Had he been American, the achievement would have earned him a wild card into the US Open, and Wimbledon have rewarded him with entry into the main draw.
Jubb, ranked 579, has demonstrated strong form on the British grass so far, winning his first match at second-tier Challenger level in Nottingham last week and two more in Ilkley this week, beating 104th-ranked Thiago Monteiro in the second round on Tuesday.
He wrote on Twitter: “Beyond happy to play my first Wimbledon and be given this amazing opportunity. Thx to the-LTA for all the support and everyone else on this journey with me. As a young lad growing up in Hull it was a big dream to get to SW19.”
Jubb will be unable to collect the guaranteed £45,000 in prize money, though, as he intends to stay amateur and complete his final year at the University of South Carolina.
Six British players in total have been given places in the main draw, with Jubb joined by Jay Clarke, James Ward, Heather Watson, Harriet Dart and Katie Swan.
Wimbledon junior champion Iga Swiatek, from Poland, has also been awarded a wild card along with All England Club favourite Marcos Baghdatis.
Katie Boulter, who is continuing to recover from a back injury, is a notable absentee, while Naiktha Bains and Katy Dunne, both in the world’s top 250, have also missed out.
It's understood Boulter is still hoping to play as she builds up her fitness and she will make a decision at the end of this week one way or another.
Dunne has been given entry into qualifying but Bains, who recently switched back to representing Britain, may have to go through pre-qualifying.
The 21-year-old, who is ranked 229, was born in Leeds but moved to Australia with her family aged eight and had been playing for her adopted country until April.
Bains will play at the All England Club, though, having been given a doubles wild card alongside Naomi Broady.
Among the other recipients of qualifying wild cards are up-and-coming teenagers Jack Draper, Emma Raducanu and Aidan McHugh and Frenchman Nicolas Mahut, famous for his epic match against John Isner in 2010.
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