Andy Murray has snapped up rising British tennis star Paul Jubb, adding the 20-year-old from Hull to his management agency.
Jubb rose to prominence in 2019, earning himself a wildcard at Wimbledon after winning the NCAA national singles championships for the University of South Carolina – following in the footsteps of the likes of John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors – and beating now world No. 14 Andrey Rublev in Eastborne.
The world No. 519 turned pro last month after leaving college and was selected for the Lawn Tennis Association’s Pro Schollarship Programme – which provides young British players support to the tune of £80,000-a-year – and now he has teamed up with Murray’s management company 77 Sport.
‘Paul won the prestigious men’s singles title during his time at American college, and we’re delighted he chose to sign with us as he starts on his journey as a professional tennis player,’ said three-time Grand Slam champion Murray.
‘He’s got a great mindset and work ethic, I’m looking forward to helping him develop as an athlete in any way I can.’
Jubb has memories of watching Murray beat his idol and current top-ranked male player Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon in 2013 and practised with the former world No. 1 last year.
Having Britain’s greatest tennis export as a mentor is a valuable resource.
‘I guess that is definitely now an option that I can use him more as a source and potentially have more court-time with him and be able to talk to him more and use his brain to try and help me on the tennis court,’ said Jubb, who joins fellow British youngsters Katie Swan and Aidan McHugh in being represented by 77 Sport. ‘So, it’s definitely an opportunity that I can use to my full advantage.
‘I’ve always watched a lot of Andy’s highlights on YouTube, he’s such a great tennis player of this generation and just seeing what he does on the court so well, I’m always looking at that and basically studying the game. He’s just a great example of doing the basics so well on the court.
‘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.’
Jubb has a long way to go to match the achievements of Murray, who also has two Olympic golds to his name, and is setting realistic goals of cracking the top-100 before dreaming too big.
The ‘heart’ and ‘fire’ inside Murray are two of the features of the Scot that Jubb hopes to replicate in his own game.
‘It’s always been an aspect that has drawn me to Andy because I love that fire that he has,’ he added. ‘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. That’s certainly an aspect that draws me to him the most.
‘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.’
Jubb’s background is far from ordinary in the British tennis scene.
Losing both of his parents in his childhood and raised on a council estate in Hull, Jubb has not been afforded the privileges of many others who pursue an expensive sport.
‘It’s not traditional,’ said Jubb of his background. ‘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.’
His one taste of Grand Slam tennis ended in defeat at the hands of Joao Sousa at the All England Club but Jubb is hoping to be back for more sooner rather than later.
‘I have always been a person who, once I have had a sniff at something, once I have seen what it is like, I hold onto that and then I strive harder until I do get there properly,’ said Jubb.
‘Obviously it was a great experience for me but one looking back it does hurt because I was there to win, I want to win. I am not going to be happy to just play there and lose.
‘I want to be back there in the future hopefully off my own bat as well and hopefully be able to pick up wins at Wimbledon and other Grand Slams.’
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