From underdog to United Cup hero: Jakub Paul's incredible journey!
It's the kind of story that makes you believe in the magic of sports: a relatively unknown player stepping up when the spotlight shines brightest. This is the story of Jakub Paul, a 26-year-old Swiss tennis player, who has become the unlikely star of the United Cup.
Initially, Paul wasn't even sure he'd get a chance to play mixed doubles. But when the opportunity arose due to Stan Wawrinka's absence, Paul, ranked No. 81 in the world, seized it with both hands.
Partnering with Belinda Bencic, Paul has been a revelation, winning three crucial mixed doubles matches and contributing to a total of four victories overall. This has propelled Switzerland to its first United Cup final, a feat no one anticipated.
"For me, it's still surreal," Paul confessed after defeating singles stars Zizou Bergs and Elise Mertens in the semi-finals. "I can't really believe that we are in the final yet because I don't think anyone expected this... These are the moments I practice for. We knew mixed doubles was always going to be important and Stan gave me the chance to play. So I felt I had to really be ready, give my best. Of course, I never expected to win all those four matches. Now that we're in the final, we want to give everything and let's go for the title."
What's truly remarkable is how Paul has handled the pressure, facing off against seasoned Grand Slam champions. He's played fearless tennis, displaying confidence and precision, and has taken the opportunity with both hands.
Bencic, despite her experience, has empowered Paul to embrace a bold approach on the court. "It's just amazing to see him play and how brave he is," she said.
Paul credits their partnership, explaining, "When Belinda tells me to go, I just go... If you make a call, you have to stick to it because at the baseline she doesn't know if I'm actually going to go or not. So it's just better to go, and it’s been working out."
Paul's journey began like many others, with his father and older brother. When his potential emerged, he moved to an academy, staying in the dorms and returning home on weekends.
At 18, he moved to Biel to practice at the Swiss Federation’s training base. During that year, he qualified for the US Open boys' event and won two rounds. This led to a meeting with Roger Federer.
"Roger actually saw that," Paul said. "Once I got back home Severin Luthi called me and said that Roger would like to practice because he had a house quite close to where I live in the mountains. He invited me for an evening and of course I went."
Currently ranked No. 341 in singles and No. 81 in doubles, Paul faces a pivotal decision: prioritize singles or embrace the lucrative opportunities in doubles.
"It’s not an easy decision but at the moment I still want to push in singles," he said. "I still feel I have potential and a couple of months ago I was at my highest rank of 288. On the other hand, doubles is going much better being Top 80 and I have the chance to play Slams, so it gets very interesting. I’m still playing Challengers where’s it’s possible to combine singles and doubles. If I play a doubles final on Saturday and then have to play singles qualies in a different city on Sunday, it’s difficult. For now I can still manage it, but in the end I have to pay my bills and if I can make more money in doubles, I might have to switch."
But for one more day, Paul's focus remains on the mixed doubles final with Bencic.
What do you think? Should Paul focus on singles or doubles? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
