Matt Rife says he had his mind blown during first-ever tennis lesson with Chris Eubanks

Being one of the most prestigious tournaments in tennis, the Indian Wells Open always attracts celebrities, and this year has been no different thus far.

NBA star Jimmy Butler was in attendance to watch Carlos Alcaraz’s opening match at the ATP Masters 1000 event, which the Spaniard won comfortably against Grigor Dimitrov.

Meanwhile, comedian Matt Rife has not only been watching action unfold in ‘Tennis Paradise’, but he has taken to the practice courts himself.

Rife had his first-ever tennis lesson with former American player Chris Eubanks, and he said the experience was mind-blowing.

Matt Rife recalls his first tennis lesson in Indian Wells

Speaking to Tennis Channel, Rife said: “I highly underestimated the cardio. We only played like five points [and I was] gassed so fast, and I wasn’t even the one serving.

“The serve was also a brand new perspective. I never realised what 135 miles per hour felt like coming right at you. And if it’s right at your body, you almost hit me directly in the stomach.

“I don’t even know what I’m supposed to do with this. I have a newfound respect for the overall athleticism. I didn’t understand how much strength you had to have in your wrist for every single swing.

“You grow up playing like ping pong or pickleball, and you’re like, oh, this is the same thing, right? No, there’s so much force coming at the racket. You have to brace for every hit.

“The backhand, I had to ask, when you switch from a one-handed to a two-handed backhand. There was so much to learn. I just understood it from a spectator’s point of view.

“And when you actually figure out the mechanics of it, it blows your mind how intricate the sport really is. And I love it. Now I’m hooked. I lost so badly.

“I’m like, I’m kind of mad that he was like, all right, we’ll enjoy the rest of your day. I was like, how? How? As a loser? I’m hooked now.”

Chris Eubanks says he was ‘really impressed’ with Matt Rife’s tennis

Giving his verdict on Rife’s ability, Eubanks said: “He was great. I told him this on the court, and I’ll tell him now, and I’m not just gassing it.

“You don’t see people who play tennis for the very first time, and we can have actual rallies. We played points.

“He actually beat me in a baseline point. I missed the ball. It was an error. But it’s still a point. Error counts the same as a winner in tennis.

“So I mean, you know, oftentimes people get out there, they grab the racket. It takes them a while to get the grip. Then they go from forehand to backhand. It’s almost like an hour to get this, an hour to get that.

“We started off with some hand-feeding drills. Got it so quickly. He was out there before I got there, though. I got there a little bit late. He was out there grinding.

“And I go, OK, so he’s taking this really seriously. He was generating spin on the forehand. Backhand could use some work, you know, but we’re getting there slowly but surely. I was really impressed, though.”

Eubanks officially retired from tennis in November last year at the age of 29, and has since become a pundit.