The domestic tennis system in China has undergone a dramatic makeover, and the results are beginning to show. Currently, there are one man, seven women, and eight male players among the top 100. In the Australian Open singles main draw this year, nine Chinese players competed.
Zheng Qinwen has become a standout in both the men’s and women’s divisions at the Australian Open after defeating France’s Oceane Dodin 6-0, 6-3 on Monday in the fourth round of competition. She is in the lead in terms of form and standings to make it to this week’s finals in Melbourne. The world number 15, who is 21 years old and has a powerful serve, aggressive style of play, and groundstrokes full of topspin, has found himself in an unexpected situation due to the lopsided top portion of the draw. She has followed in Li Na’s footsteps to become the first Chinese player to make it to the Grand Slam singles championship round. This accomplishment represents the first success of China’s recent tennis boom, in which the country’s institutions have thrown support behind the new generation of talented players who are becoming more and more well-known for the sport. Despite having fewer courts, clubs, or academies than other countries, China is home to an extraordinary amount of tennis players—roughly one-fourth (22.9%) of all tennis players worldwide.
Experts claim that the nation’s passion for tennis goes beyond the game itself and represents goals for a fashionable and exciting lifestyle that corresponds with dreams for a high social standing. The 2019 edition of the same ITF report stated that just 9.2% of global tennis is played in India, a nation that has not produced a top 100 singles player in the past four years. Unlike China, India has never been a historic tennis powerhouse, finding greater success in sports like badminton and table tennis. Nevertheless, the entertaining popularity may not necessarily translate into success in professional sports.
Li Na, who retired in 2014, is still China’s only tennis star in the world, despite a few successful doubles teams. No Chinese player had emerged victorious in a Grand Slam main draw singles match prior to 2022. Nonetheless, there have been recent initiatives to promote tennis in the nation, including expanded tournament hosting, emphasis on grassroots academies, facility upgrades, and the hiring of former players and international specialists as instructors. China gains from its domination in Asian competitions by virtue of its increased visibility worldwide. Notable events are held in China in September and October, including the Shanghai Masters, one of the Masters 1000 ATP events.
As of right now, there are eight male players, seven female players, and one male player in the top 100 ranks. In the Australian Open singles main draw this year, nine Chinese players competed. Socially speaking, with three distinct tour-level title winners, 2023 may be the strongest season yet for Chinese women. Zheng, who is vying for a spot in the top 10 this week, appears to be the only Chinese celebrity with more recent success than the others. Zheng is obviously different from the players from Li’s period; they were all offensive baseline players, but Zheng is now located in Barcelona and has worked with international coaches. She would rather break the mold, score points in other ways, and play with more topspin than flattery. She attributes her achievement to exposure. Zheng went on to say, “It’s clear that 15 years ago, tennis had just started in China, so we don’t have many opportunities to improve our coaching system.” “Now, fifteen years later, we are trying different coaches to get better at our game since we know more about the world and how everyone plays. Thus, everyone is now more knowledgeable about tennis.”
On Wednesday, she will face the 75th-ranked Anna Kalinskaya in the quarterfinals. There are no players ranked higher than 50 in her part of the draw. This week offers her a great chance to advance in her career and raise the standard of Chinese tennis. on any case, the country is progressing on the tennis scene.