The taste of early success often comes at a price for highly touted prospects such as Noah Rubin and Tommy Paul.
Both junior Grand Slam champions – Rubin at Wimbledon 2014, Paul a year later at Roland-Garros – the Americans have grappled with almighty expectations from a young age.
For both, the transition to the professional ranks has lagged somewhat behind their American peers, the likes of Frances Tiafoe and Taylor Fritz, only compounding a slower-than-expected climb up the ranks.
But with age comes maturity and the 23-year-old Rubin has found greater appreciation for his lot in life.
“It used to frustrate me,” Rubin said after a 6-3, 6-4 opening round Qualifying victory over compatriot Michael Mmoh on Monday. “I used to almost think that I deserved to be at a certain spot. But tennis doesn’t owe anybody anything.
“It is one of the toughest sports in the world, it really is. When you’re talking about the few guys at the top, we’re talking about five, six guys, seven guys who actually make it [as Grand Slam champions].
“That’s such a small percentage. So the rest of us, we have to grind a little more but it can be worth it in the end.”
There was no harsher critic on Rubin than the man himself when results largely failed to materialise following that surprise triumph in the Junior Championships at Wimbledon five years ago.
To date he has only once passed the first round at a Grand Slam – at the Australian Open in 2017 – where he acquitted himself well in a straight sets defeat to Roger Federer in the second round.
“The Aussie’s my best result so far. You would think I would have some sort of success [at Wimbledon] so we’ll see how we go.”
Rubin’s memory darted back to Roehampton 12 months ago in the aftermath of beating his good friend, Mmoh.
This was a first round Qualifying rematch and he had avenged defeat from last year.
It was a loss that had clearly left its mark. Mmoh went on to make his Wimbledon debut as a lucky loser.
The what-ifs surely entered Rubin’s thoughts at the time.
"He qualified last year,” Rubin recalled. “On Twitter I saw the actual percentages you can actually play somebody twice in the first round and it was 0.062 or something.
“I mean we’ve played each other more than a few times now. He got me three and now I’ve gotten him two.”
Paul came to Roehampton having contested his first Grand Slam main draw outside of the United States in Paris last month.
The 22-year-old tested eventual runner-up Dominic Thiem in the opening round there but it didn’t make losing any easier.
“It was good and obviously people were saying congratulations but I still lost,” he said.
He started his campaign at Roehampton with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Tseng Chun-hsin, last year’s winner of the Junior Championships at Wimbledon.
“I’m just hoping I can play some good tennis on the grass now. I wasn’t expecting to love the grass when I came here but I’m actually feeling pretty confortable on it.”
In the four years since his junior slam breakthrough, Paul – much like Rubin – has spoken of the mental battle when success hasn’t quickly followed.
“For me that’s probably the toughest,” he said. “Anyone who knows me knows I’m a little wild off the court so I’m working on taming that.
“I’m just all over the place. I’m a real people person I think so I never like focusing on my own thing.
“But I’ve matured a lot and also now just knowing when to separate myself and kind of focus and get stuff done for myself.”
A stint at college helped Rubin drop off the radar somewhat, which helped temporarily quell expectations from others.
But that was not enough to silence the pressures from within.
“For a lot of the guys who go straight to pro, like Tommy, they’re expected to be top 50 in the world the next two to three years and when that doesn’t happen in your own head you’re like ‘I’m a failure’,” Rubin said.
“But you’re not. You’re still top 200 in the world, top 300 in the world. It’s amazing.”
His own struggles prompted the young American to create a social media account, Behind the Racquet, where players could give a warts-and-all account of their personal stories.
“Behind the Racquet was kind of to show all the non-glamorous side and also the mental issues with tennis, how tough it is and how we should really support each other,” he said.
“It’s a lonely road out there and we want to help each other.”
