Tennis: ‘It’s about making history and for the country,’ says Yibing
Wu Yibing, China’s top tennis player and the first guy to represent China at an ATP singles tournament. More than anything else, Wu Yibing enjoys inspiring the younger generation to set loftier goals and make greater achievements.
“It’s not only about winning the title, I think it’s more about me personally making history and also for the country. That’s huge for the next generation. For me, I need to keep going and keep my body healthy. I’m sure there’s more to come,” Wu said post the title win in Dallas.
“In general, the Chinese players, we’re working a lot on the baseline. We’re missing some shots like slicing, like volleys. So this is something I’m missing from my junior time of practicing, which I’m looking forward to improving,” Wu had told ATP Tour earlier about his time in Europe.
Wu earned his debut ATP Challenger title in Shanghai in 2018 and received appreciation from players like Roger Federer in the same year. During the 2018 ATP Rolex Masters, Federer commented “For him (Wu) to play in a tournament like this, starting to play against the best, is what I did in ’98, as well.”
“I think mentally I am ready to overcome all the injuries I might come across in the near future. My body is not strong enough like other players, so I am ready to put more effort in the gym and stretching room. One of the important lessons I have to learn is how to prevent injury.”
“Tennis is a lonely sport. I don’t have many friends on the Tour. I missed a few years of these tournaments. My coaches and my physio, they have to keep me up, keep me hungry about playing matches and keep me fit. All these little things make a team. Here, I can chill after a long day of practice. I can just chill on my bed and watch some great games.”
The rising tennis star is also a hit on Chinese social media, where he routinely engages with his followers through live streaming.
“I do it because I have some free time and I want to talk to someone. Instead of playing video games, I choose to do live streaming and interact with all the Chinese fans. Maybe some junior players will get inspired by it. I guess gaining some supporters is never a bad thing.”
In the current ATP Rankings, Wu has risen to position 58, and Isner praised his title victory in Dallas. Before Wu’s team from China won, the American had blasted 44 aces in the championship match. “I swear I thought I won the match a few times. I know he hit one ball, and it had to be on the back sixteenth of the line… Sports can be brutal. He is an unbelievable ball striker and a very good talent,” Isner said.
Wu issued a warning to his fellow competitors and announced that he will be live streaming with his fans after winning the title.
“I’ve been through a lot of things. I’ve been through injuries, I’ve been through many difficult situations when I was growing up,” Wu said. “I think the reason now I’m relaxed on the tennis courts is because I trust myself. If you want to beat me, you have to work hard,” said Wu.
Wu also said “I trust myself and I work hard for it. In the gym, on the tennis court, off the court, I always think about tennis. The way I look at tennis, now it’s more relaxing, more enjoyable than before.”
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