Male players emerge from shadows of female stars

Chinese men's tennis has turned heads at this year's Wimbledon Championships after appearing to finally catch up with its female counterpart at the sport's elite level.

The historic achievements included the first and second wins by players from the Chinese mainland in the men's main draw of the world's most famous tournament since the open era began in 1968.

July 1 saw double delight for Chinese tennis fans. First from teen star Shang Juncheng in a straight-sets victory over Chile's Cristian Garin, followed by Zhang Zhizhen's defeat of French qualifier Maxime Janvier. The wins sparked joy across China's tennis community. Unfortunately, both players were knocked out in the next round.

Zhang, China's highest-ranked male player at No 34, hailed the breakthroughs as a collective confidence boost.

"Gradually, I feel like I belong to this tournament and to the elite stage of men's professional tennis," said Zhang, who in October 2022 became the first player from the Chinese mainland to crack the men's top 100.

"I feel more comfortable and more confident playing at this level, whereas in the past I'd felt quite nervous, or intimidated, facing a much higher-ranked opponent on the tour," Zhang said after losing to German power hitter Jan-Lennard Struff in the second round.

Zhang, a 27-year-old Shanghai native, is the first Chinese man to reach the second round at all four Grand Slam tournaments, with quarterfinal appearances at the 2023 Madrid and 2024 Rome ATP1000 tournaments among his career highlights.

At just 19, Shang has attracted even more attention than his compatriots for his untapped potential. His fast-paced, aggressive game and composure beyond his years, were on full display in a close five-setter against Bulgaria's 10th seed Grigor Dimitrov in the second round, despite losing 3-2 after taking the first two sets.

"The loss was a tough one but a memorable one as well," said Shang, who broke into the top 100 in May after making his first ATP semifinals appearance in Hong Kong in January.

The teenager conceded he still doesn't have what it takes physically at the highest level in a five-set match.

"It's all positive though, because I know my game works well and I just need to improve my physical strength," said Shang, who is only playing his second full season on the ATP tour.

Another youngster, the country's first and only ATP male singles titlist Wu Yibing, is hoping for a strong comeback from an injury that has sidelined him for over six months.

Wu, who is currently in the United States recovering from foot surgery, won the ATP250 title in Dallas, Texas, in February 2023, the first ATP Tour-level title won by a Chinese male player.

A former US Open boys' champion, he reached a career-high ranking of 54 in May last year.