Wang Xinyu wants to make tennis ‘even bigger in China’

SINGAPORE – Wang Xinyu and her compatriots are a big reason why tennis is enjoying a popularity boom in China.

According to Chinese media reports, booking a tennis court in some cities has become a challenge in recent times, with tennis events in Beijing, Shanghai and Wuhan also packed with spectators.

The surge comes amid a season of triumphs and breakthroughs for female tennis players from China, a decade after two-time Grand Slam champion Li Na’s last victory at the 2014 Australian Open.

Wang and mixed doubles partner Zhang Zhizhen enjoyed a fairy-tale run to an Olympic silver medal in Paris in 2024. Compatriot Zheng Qinwen reached the Australian Open final, before making a winning run at the Olympics where she upset then world No. 1 Iga Swiatek en route to the women’s singles gold – she was the first Asian player to achieve the feat.

Wang, who is in town for the Singapore Tennis Open, gave the 400-strong crowd at the Kallang Tennis Hub a display of talent on Jan 28 when she posted a 6-4, 5-7, 7-5 first-round win over Rebecca Marino of Canada.

In a post-match interview with The Straits Times, the fourth seed grinned when asked about the pride she takes in being one of the catalysts for a surge in interest in tennis back home.

Wang, 23, who hails from Shenzhen and speaks fluent English, said: “Tennis is really growing big now in China. And, I’m really happy to be part of it. The Olympics for me was really a surprise.

“But yes, really, really happy to see that I could do something for this sport. I hope I will continue to be able to have more chances to let people know about this sport and to make it even bigger in China.”

And the best way to do it, would be to win a Grand Slam.

She added: “All the players now (from China), I know that’s our goal. That’s what we’re aiming for, and we keep working hard to get there. Hopefully, it’s going to be soon. We’re going to have a next Grand Slam (champion from China).”

Australian world No. 107 Olivia Gadecki has also observed the rise in the popularity of the sport in China. The 22-year-old played there twice last October in the WTA 1000 Wuhan Open and the WTA 500 Ningbo Open.

She said: “I would definitely say (interest in tennis) has increased in China. Even if you see the list of WTA and the ATP, there are quite a few players in the top 100, which is great for China.”

There are currently five Chinese players in the top 100 of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) rankings, while the men’s ATP Tour has three players in the top 100.

Drawing comparisons to how the now-retired three-time Slam winner Ashleigh Barty’s ascent to world No. 1 in 2019 also fuelled an interest in the sport in Australia, Gadecki spoke about the importance of having a national hero to lead the way.

She added: “It makes a big difference. It had a big impact on Australians. When Ash became No. 1 or even when she was just rising up, she brought a lot of people together to pick up a racket and go out and play.”

Wang’s match on Jan 28 proved to be a marathon encounter, lasting two hours and 25 minutes, as the tennis ace endured a slow start, losing the first three games before recovering to win the first set.

The crowd at Kallang was clearly behind the Chinese world No. 35, erupting in cheers and applause after every winning point. There was a brief calm as Marino – who posted 13 aces – claimed the second set, but the decibels ramped up when Wang surged ahead in the next set, winning three consecutive games to clinch the match.

She will face Australian qualifier Maya Joint in the second round. But before that, Wang will celebrate her first Chinese New Year in Singapore by having reunion dinner with her family and friends.

She is hoping for the Year of the Snake to usher in some luck on the court at the US$275,000 (S$372,000) WTA 250 event, which ends on Feb 2. Wang is also in the doubles draw with Zheng Saisai, and the pair will play Briton Heather Watson and American Hailey Baptiste in the quarter-finals on Jan 29.

The second day of action at the Singapore Tennis Open saw a number of upsets, with Russian fifth seed and world No. 58 Polina Kudermetova suffering a surprise first-round exit when she was beaten 6-3, 6-2 by Australia’s Kimberly Birrell.

Gadecki also defeated eighth-seed and 60th ranked Moyuka Uchijima of Japan 6-1, 6-7 (1-7), 6-2 to move into the round of 16, where she will face Jil Teichmann of Switzerland.

Only four of the top eight seeds remain in the women’s singles – Wang, top seed Anna Kalinskaya of Russia, Colombian Camila Osorio (sixth) and Belgium’s Elise Mertens (second), who posted a 6-1, 6-0 win over American Taylor Townsend on Jan 28.

Former US Open winner and No. 7 seed Emma Raducanu crashed out in the first round after losing to 101st-ranked Cristina Bucsa of Spain on Jan 27, while American third seed Amanda Anisimova withdrew due to a hip injury.

The world No. 40 announced in an Instagram story on Jan 27 that she had “picked up a small injury” and said she was “gutted that I won’t be able to play in Singapore this week”.