Wu Ybing becoming the first Chinese player to win an ATP title, credit : Figaro
Only a few years ago, this question would have sounded like a bad joke.
At the beginning of 2022, China was barely represented on the ATP circuit, at least not in the top 100. While the Middle Kingdom had already made a name for itself on the women's circuit, such success on the men's side seemed a long way off.
Then came October 21, 2022, marked by Zhang Zhizhen's entry into the elite, the first sign of the rise of Chinese tennis. Just a few months later, on American soil in Dallas, Wu Ybing, another Asian tennis hope, became the first Chinese to win an ATP title, at the age of 23.
This time, there can be no doubt - Chinese tennis is up to something.
Zhang Zhizen becoming the first chinese player to break into the top 100,
Credit : Tennis Majors
Juncheng Shang, Zhizhen Zhang and Bu Yunchaokete, as the season comes to a close, China counts no fewer than 3 players in the top 100, a first for the country of around 1.4 billion inhabitants.
While some of these players are among the revelations of the 2024 tennis season, others profiles such as Zhizhen Zhang or Wu Ybing (unfortunately hampered by foot injuries) are now familiar names to the general public, capable of competing with the very best.
On the women's side, the new ambassador of national tennis is none other than Qinwen Zheng, who has already won an Olympic gold medal and a grand slam final (Australian Open 2024).
As surprising as it is unpredictable, Chinese tennis now boasts better statistics than many traditional tennis nations.
Qinwen Zheng making her first Grand Slam Final at the AO 2024, Credit : Tennis News
China owes this sudden evolution in the world of the yellow ball to a number of factors.
From massive investment in the construction of new academies and training centers, to the organization of ATP tournaments within its borders, the world's second-largest economy has done everything in its power to create a genuine tennis culture and foster the emergence of new talent.
Although China still has a long way to go before definitively establishing itself as a tennis nation, the machine already seems to be running perfectly.
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