Wu Yibing: Came to tennis because the badminton net was very high and became the first Chinese to win an ATP tournament

Exactly one year ago, with the ranking update after the Dallas ATP 250the Chinese wu yibing appeared in the 1086 position of the world ranking. This Monday, after beating John isner in three tiebreaks and is consecrated in the American tournament, he climbs 39 positions and reaches his best historical position (58th).

He overcame the powerful serves of the giant Isner, propelled from his 2.08m height, and collected four match points before lifting his first title on the big circuit (he won four Challengers). Coached by Argentina Gerardo Azzurra, left on the way to a Top 10 like Taylor Fritz, always threatening Denis Shapovalov and to the experts Adriano Mannarino, in addition to the debut with the local Mmoh. A dream week.

​Upon receiving her trophy, among all the thanks, she recognized Azcurra’s work: “He helps me a lot, he gives me positive advice to grow. It’s great to work with him and with my whole team”, said the tennis player who gave China its first ATP title in men’s singles.

He is 23 years old and with this trophy he confirms what he promised at the time of the Juniores, when he was US Open junior champion in 2017 after beating Argentina in the final Axel Geller. As is often the case, he has struggled to adjust to professionalism but this week he has managed to make the leap he was looking for and is positioning himself as a name to keep in mind for the future.

That year, when he settled in Flushing Meadows at the age of 17, IMG offered him a contract to take over his career, just as the same corporation did with Rafael Nadal AND Roger Federer, to cite some of the most emblematic cases. They were aware of the talent that is now starting to show on the ATP Tour.

Born in Hangzhou on October 14, 1999, Wu Yibing said he wanted to celebrate the victory with his family, who he hasn’t seen for a year due to the coronavirus situation in his country. “I can not enter”, he argues. A curiosity: his first sport, as a child, was not tennis. It was badminton, very popular in Asia. However, he had to change for a singular reason: the net was too high. Something that wouldn’t be an impediment now, given that at one point he hit the growth spurt and reached 83 meters.

Your reference is Yao Ming, the best Chinese basketball player in history, who shone in the NBA for ten seasons with the jersey of Houston Rockets. Without a great basketball tradition in China, the 2.29-metre giant. managed to be successful. Wu dreams of doing something similar in tennis. “I’m happy above all for having made the history of my country. I hope this victory helps the new generations. I have to stay healthy because I’m sure more successes will come”. meditated.

He also acknowledges Kevin Durant like his childhood idol: “My earliest memory of a basketball game was the 2012 NBA Finals between Oklahoma and Miami. That’s where I discovered Durant. I love his staging, you never know what he feels. I identify a little with him on the track. He’s elegant and doesn’t do anything silly.”

​Also, still from Dallas, he left a pearl to meet this young man who wants to accomplish everything that is expected of him. He says he likes to watch cooking shows and try to replicate the recipes he sees there, a way to distract himself after training, and confesses that he doesn’t like parties and that he only listens to Asian music.

China grows

Together with Wu, juncheng shang He is another of the Chinese tennis players who promise to give something to talk about on the ATP circuit. He turned 18 on February 2 and during the last one Australian Open, Still 17, he became the first Chinese tennis player to win the main draw in the first Grand Slam of the season. Like Wu, Shang is also coached by an Argentinian, Dante Bottini.

“It’s huge for Chinese men’s tennis. We had very good players among women, but honestly not big names among men.” commented Shanghai after overcoming the qualy and beating the German in the first round Oscar Otto.

​Months ago, he got fired as his coach Marcello Rios and started working with Bottini. Although the reasons for their breakup were not clear, the tennis player made it clear that he did not like the ways of the Chinese. “For me and my family, the most important thing is to be a good person, to respect others. It’s the most important thing that I want to show on and off the pitch, and with Marcelo I don’t think he was expressing himself one hundred percent.. Too bad it didn’t work out,” he explained to the magazine. clay.

“He plays very easy, but he doesn’t get out of his balls (he doesn’t force himself). For me, a professional trains two and a half hours in the morning and two and a half hours in the afternoon, more physical. He wakes up two hours after noon… They have another culture. We stop any pain. The hueón (boy) advances five steps and goes back 10”, fired the former Chilean number 1 in the world in statements to the newspaper La Tercera de Chile.