It’s been eight years since Queenslander Jason Kubler, at the time just 16 years of age, last arrived at Melbourne Park to compete in the Australian Open main draw.
The 24-year-old has landed back here in 2018 on a high, having recently taken out the Playford ATP Challenger – the second title in his last three outings – and, more importantly, with an Australian Open wildcard in his back pocket.
It’s been a long road – and one less travelled – to get here. In the intervening years, the former junior world No.1, who was once even touted as ‘a right-handed Rafa’, has been forced to sit on the sidelines for extended periods. His troublesome knees – he has now undergone a total of six surgeries, five on his left knee and one on his right – have often relegated him to a clay-only schedule (the more forgiving surface preventing further damage), far removed from the company of the touring Aussie pack.
But as a result of his recent resurgence, the former world No.136 now finds himself inside the top 250 for the first time since 2015. “Now I am really close to staying in the higher rankings and getting into qualifying at all the Grand Slams,” he said recently.
No qualifying required in Melbourne, however, with Kubler now finding himself up against the No.10 seed, Pablo Carreno Busta, in the first round.
“I wasn’t sure I wanted to watch the live draw,” Kubler said. “But then I found out it was
Carreno Busta. I’m happy – I get to play one of the top guys and see where my level is at.
“Hopefully I can get on a big court as well, that’d be unreal. The one main advantage I will have is the crowd. The more they get into it, hopefully it will inspire me.”
Kubler admits to knowing little about the 26-year-old Spaniard, who had a breakout year in 2017, cracking the top 10 for the first time, making the US Open semifinals and featuring in the year-end Nitto ATP Finals in London.
“Not too much, just because of where I’ve been playing my tennis,” he said of his knowledge of Carreno Busta. “But a lot of the Aussies can give me info. We’re all really close, so they will help me out for sure.
“What I do know is that he’s not going to give me too many cheap points, he just has that Spanish mentality of fighting hard and working hard,” he added. “And he’s got a bit to prove this year, I suppose. Once you crack the top 10 you have to consolidate, which can be a lot tougher than getting there.
“At the end of the day, I just need to bring my best, because I know he’ll be bringing his.”
Kubler recalled his Australian Open debut when he last received a wildcard, in 2010. “I played Ivan Ljubicic and it all went very quickly,” he said of 6-1 6-2 6-2 loss. “Hopefully I can do better than that. I feel like I’m much more mentally ready for it now.”
“It was actually a difficult month for me,” Kubler added. “I played Brisbane and Sydney and then the Australian Open. It was probably one of the toughest times I had playing tennis, just because I was doing so well in juniors and I was maybe expecting too much, putting too much pressure on myself.
“Now I’m just enjoying it, knowing that if I do the best I can, that’s all I can expect from myself. The result will either go his way or mine and wherever it goes, it goes. There is no real pressure on me at all.
“I know there’s going to be so much more happening than in a Challenger or a Futures match, but if I can just focus on giving my best then I’m not going to be disappointed, regardless of how the match goes.
“I’m really happy where I am right now. Just getting back into it and giving it all I can.”