The British teen player you've never heard of with a wildcard to Wimbledon

There are many reasons why you should take note of Paul Jubb.

Aged just 19, he’s been given a wildcard entry to Wimbledon and will make his grand slam debut on Tuesday, facing Portuguese player Joao Sousa.

His invitation to SW19 comes off the back of a historic achievement. Earlier this year, he became the first Briton to win the prestigious National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men’s singles championship in the US, following in the footsteps of John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors.

Born in York, he moved to live with his grandmother in Hull following the death of both his parents when he was three. Jubb discovered tennis at the age of five.

He caught the eye of James Trotman - an LTA national coach who has worked with current British No. 1 Kyle Edmund - during a competition in Roehampton, and he was able to introduce Jubb to coaches looking for new talent.

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Trotman told Yahoo Sport UK: “Josh Goffi [Jubb’s current coach and head coach for University of South Carolina’s men’s tennis team] was in London and he asked me if there were any good people around, so I mentioned Paul to him and two days later he was on a train to Hull.

“At that time Paul was being sponsored by the LTA and he was dead set on being a professional player.

“He has a number of great qualities, but what sets him apart is his competitiveness, mentality, how well he moves and maintains a good tempo. His forehand can really hurt his opponent.”

After winning the British under-16s title, Jubb was eventually awarded a scholarship to the University of South Carolina.

The NCAA holds an annual college tennis tournament and, while victory in it is a huge achievement, it can also be indicative of a future professional success.

In the final, Jubb defeated Nuno Borges 6-3 7-6. The win was all the more impressive given Jubb had lost his two previous matches against the Portguese player.

“Going to America was a good thing,” added Trotman, “it [the college system] helps you develop physically and mentally, and if you do well over there it’s a good scene to turn pro.

“He’s a fun guy, very focused, and is well liked by his peers.”

Jubb told The Times: “I don’t know why I chose tennis, it was for fun at first - but I have always liked the individual aspect of it, even if I didn’t pick up on that as a child.

“I have always liked doing things by myself and I like the fact that, if you lose, it is down to you, and you make the decisions yourself to improve, and if you win it is all down to you.

“I don’t like relying on anyone else. That is one of the things I like about tennis - it is character building and shows who you are.”

READ MORE: The youngest player to qualify for Wimbledon draw is just 15

Although when he was younger he admired Rafael Nadal, the more he developed his game, the more he looked up at Novak Djokovic, someone he models his game around due to their similar playing styles.

In an interview with HullLive, he said: “Growing up, I always loved watching Rafael Nadal. The more I played and the more I learned about my own game, Novak Djokovic became my biggest tennis inspiration, just because I style my game around him.”

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