History maker looks to his legacy

First Chinese man to triumph at an ATP tour-level event hopes to inspire the next generation

After doing his country proud by being the first Chinese man to win an ATP singles title, China's top tennis ace Wu Yibing takes more pride in motivating the next generation to dream bigger, aim higher and achieve more.

With a hard-fought win against one of the world's best servers on the opponent's home court, Wu had his name etched in tennis history on Sunday in Dallas, Texas after beating former world No 8 John Isner of the United States in three sets — all going to tiebreakers — to claim his maiden ATP tour-level singles trophy, the first Chinese man to do so.

After pocketing $112,125 for the winner's prize money and 249 ranking points, Wu's title run in Dallas has taken him up to No 58 on the ATP world rankings, all the way from beneath No 1,800 last March, when he returned to international play following a three-year injury-enforced absence from the professional circuit.

The win continued Wu's inexorable foray into the top echelon of the men's game, realizing a decades-long dream of Chinese tennis to match its women's success on the men's side.

"It's like every day I'm making history and of course I'm happy for that," said Wu, who entered the Dallas Open on Monday ranked within the top 100 for the first time at No 97 and made new personal and national records with each round he advanced.

"But I think the most important thing is I am actually giving more hope to the next generation. So they are going to have even higher goals or standards, not just like breaking the top 100 or winning ATP titles. They should shoot for better goals," said the 23-year-old native of Zhejiang province.

Entering Sunday's final as the underdog against local favorite Isner, Wu kept his cool facing the trademark barrage of kick serves from the 2.08-meter-tall power hitter, overcoming 44 aces from the big-serving American — one shy of tying a three-set record — and four match points to outplay Isner, 6-7(4), 7-6 (3), 7-6 (12), in nearly three hours.

Wu's combination of power, agility and accuracy on the baseline brought him 41 winners, including seven aces, while he also won 13 points at the net.

"It's like he plays every point the same, so definitely no nerves," Isner, who is currently ranked 37th, said of Wu's performance. "He gets a ball to hit, he hits it, and on this court it's hard to hit him a shot he is uncomfortable with… He is an unbelievable ball striker and a very good talent."

Citing fatigue and a cold, Wu had decided to withdraw from his next scheduled event — another ATP 250 tournament at Delray Beach, Florida — and will prepare for his main draw debut at the top-flight ATP 1000 Masters at Indian Wells, California next month.

A long way coming

Brought to a tennis court for the first time at just five, initially encouraged by his parents as an exercise to lose weight, he soon had his talent discovered by his provincial junior team, kicking off a journey that would change the face of men's tennis in China.

Developed overseas and honed on the International Tennis Federation's junior circuits, Wu shot to fame in 2017 after winning the US Open boys' tournament at 18 to become the first Chinese to win a major junior title, raising high hopes for the "Wonder Boy" to instantly change the fortune of Chinese men in a sport long dominated by women's success on the pro stage.

However, the brutally competitive nature of men's pro tennis hit the rising Wu with a tough reminder after multiple injuries — to his elbow, lower back, shoulder and wrist — forced the young star to be sidelined sooner and longer than expected.

After missing almost three years from the ATP tour, Wu resumed international play last spring, trying to dispel doubts that he deserved all the credit for his early career success in the junior ranks.

He soon silenced doubters with a series of consistent plays that saw him win three entry-level ATP Challenger titles in less than two months before fighting into the third round of the US Open to live up to his potential on the major stage.

"Looking back, I feel like I wouldn't have been here if not for the ups and downs over the past few years. I take all the setbacks and struggles as an asset that helps me mature mentally now," said Wu.

"The championship today was a payoff for all the hard work and everyone who's supported me along the way.

"It is no guarantee that every time your efforts will be rewarded but success will never happen if you don't try it in the first place."

Now as the leader of China's men tennis, Wu is not alone, though. His compatriot Zhang Zhizhen, the first Chinese man to crack the world's top 100, and the much younger talent Shang Juncheng are both catching up.

Zhang, the current world No 92, and Shang, a 17-year-old prodigy, joined Wu at last month's Australian Open to mark the first time in history that three Chinese men had entered a Grand Slam main draw event, breaking out of the shadow of their successful female counterparts highlighted by legend Li Na's two triumphs at the 2011 French Open and 2014 Australian Open.

"Wow! Waking up to great news! Congratulations to Wu Yibing and the Chinese men's team," former women's doubles Grand Slam champion Yan Zi posted on her Weibo on Monday morning.

Yan, who won back-to-back doubles titles with retired star Zheng Jie at the Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2006, was among a group of celebrities in the sport's community to laud Wu's breakout.

"Even individually it was me who made the history, I feel like I am representing all the Chinese men players collectively as one," said Wu.

"I feel like I have the responsibility to help achieve things that a lot of my peers and predecessors could not have done, and by doing so I hope to rekindle the competitive fire of more young players to go for their dreams so that the future of Chinese tennis is bright."