Inspired by Li Na & Zheng, Zhang climbing higher & higher

Chinese tennis has had stars in the past. Notably WTA Li Na, who won two majors (Roland Garros 2011, Australian Open 2014) and reached a career-high No. 2. Her legacy is evident on the WTA Tour today, with Zheng Qinwen, 21, advancing to the Australian Open final in January. There are currently seven Chinese women inside the Top 100.

On the ATP Tour, it is Zhang Zhizhen who is flying the flag for his country. The 27-year-old became the first Chinese player to crack the Top 50 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings in singles last month before he won his maiden ATP Tour doubles title in Marseille in early February. It was the first time a Chinese male had triumphed at a tour-level doubles event.

Zhang revealed that the success of his female compatriots is motivating and positive for him in his attempts to match their achievements.

“On the WTA, Chinese [tennis] had super successful results already. They had a Grand Slam winner with Li Na and now Zheng [reaching the] final in Australia,” Zhang told ATPTour.com. “It is good. But we are trying to catch them and get better on the ATP [Tour]. Both me and Shang.”

World No. 48 Zhang and 19-year-old #NextGenATP star Shang Juncheng, No. 141, are the highest-ranked Chinese men in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. They are friends and regularly practise together on Tour, with Zhang a big admirer of Shang’s game and forehand, which he describes as a ‘bullet’.

However, the 27-year-old is aware of the different paths they are on. Zhang only broke into the Top 100 for the first time in October 2022, a week after his 26th birthday. He earned his first ATP Masters 1000 win and maiden major match win last season. In contrast, Shang won his first main-draw major match at last year’s Australian Open when he was just 17. Aged 19, he is the third youngest player inside the Top 200.

“Everyone is different and has a different path,” Zhang said. “You can’t watch those top guys who have great results at 20 or 21 and compare. That would be tough for you mentally. You need to focus on you. I took a little bit longer time at the Challenger and Futures level, two or three years. But if you have the level, you trust yourself and keep going. When I was 20, 21, 22, 23, I was struggling.

“You see Jerry now is already around the Top 100 at 19. When I was 19, I was nowhere. You have to keep moving, keep going forward and realise it can take time. It is not just when you are 20 you are at the top. You need to believe in yourself because before you never think you can break Top 100. And now I am in Top 50. We have to believe ourselves that we can do a little bit more.”

Zhang’s patience paid off last year in Madrid, where he became the first Chinese man to reach the quarter-finals at an ATP Masters 1000 event. He has since advanced to the third round at Roland Garros and the US Open, the fourth round at the ATP Masters 1000 in Shanghai and the semi-finals at the ATP 500 in Hamburg.

Zhang’s on-court success has also translated off court, with the Chinese star now being recognised in his home country.

“It is very different now and especially in Shanghai. In the street people recognise me and want to ask me for pictures,” Zhang said. “This never happened before. I like it. It's not really bothering me at all. It is fun.”

Has the 27-year-old’s increased fame resulted in any perks, though?

“I wish! But not yet,” Zhang said. “I'm trying to get to that level still, but I am still far away from that I would say.”

Zhang will keep his focus on court this week when he competes at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha. The 27-year-old, who is seeking his first tour-level title, defeated Top 30 Italian Lorenzo Musetti in the first round. He will aim to reach his second quarter-final of the season when he takes on Gael Monfils on Wednesday night.