Who’s Who in 2022, Sport: Jason Kubler

Picture: Tennis Australia

Figures tell the remarkable story of Jason Kubler’s year.

He started world ranked 206 in Singles and 580 in Doubles. In January he failed to qualify for the Australian Open – but it was his last setback.

The former Mango Hill resident reached his first Grand Slam final, round four at Wimbledon, broke into the world’s top 100 and almost doubled his career money.

His world Singles ranking shot up from 206 to 96 in July (104 by November 1) and Doubles ranking from 580 to 152 in September (163 on November 1).

The latter was thanks to making the Australian Open Mixed Doubles final with Jaimee Fourlis, where the wildcard entries lost to fifth seeds Kristina Mladenovic and Ivan Dodig.

Kubler, 29, also reached round three of the Men’s Doubles with Christopher O’Connell and the Atlanta Open doubles final with John Peers, before losing to Kokkinakis and Kyrgios.

Singles highlights included qualifying and then making the second week of Wimbledon before bowing out in a career Grand Slam high of round four to 11^th seed Taylor Fritz.

It came just weeks after reaching the main draw of the French Open for the first time losing in round two to 10^th seed Cameron Norrie - but rising to 119 in the world.

Kubler won a Challenger title at Little Rock and made the Orlando Challenger final a week later but retired on medical grounds. However, the results gave him a career-best world ranking of 91.

At the Hall of Fame Open in July, Kubler recorded his first singles victory over a world top 10 player when beating number 9 Felix Auger-Aliassime in three sets.

James Duckworth was despatched in the quarter-finals sending Kubler into his maiden ATP Tour semi-final where he lost to third seed Alexander Bublik.

By October Kubler’s prize money for 2022 had topped US$580,000 taking his career earnings to more than US$1,250,000.

About Jason Kubler

Jason Kubler’s journey to some of the world’s greatest tennis courts includes hours spent honing his skills at Mango Hill.

Kubler grew up in the Moreton Bay Region and played and trained on the court in Danzy Buchanan Park, at the end of Kinsellas Rd West.

Even after her son had left, mum Lyn spent 25 years running the court’s bookings for Mango Hill Progress Association.

It proved time well spent. At the age of 16, Kubler became just the second player, after Rafael Nadal, to go through the World Youth Cup and Junior Davis Cup unbeaten.

Kubler then won five successive tournaments and was ranked three in the world juniors. Comparisons with Nadal were inevitable.

But he failed to make an impact on the Grand Slam Boys’ tournament the following year and despite junior success, could not transfer that form to senior events as a wildcard entry.

By 2011 Kubler starting to be troubled by a knee injury but won his first professional title at the USA F28 Futures event and the following week at the F29 tournament.

By 2014 he was up to 140 in the world and played his first Wimbledon qualifier. However, sixth knee operation was needed in 2016 and Kubler had a year out. In 2018 he reached three semi-finals which took him to 114 in the world.

His ranking slipped in 2019, but a sixth career Challenger title arrived last year at Lexington and in January, Kubler was knocked out of the Australian Open Singles qualifiers – which of course proved just a prelude to doubles success.