The achievements are starting so as to add up for Shang Juncheng, the 17-year-old who certified for the BNP Paribas Open on Thursday. The teenager would be the first Chinese language man to play in the principle draw at Indian Wells and the primary participant from his nation to qualify for an ATP Masters 1000 occasion amongst different accomplishments.
Any time you do one thing that places you in the identical sentence as Rafael Nadal — Shang is the youngest Masters 1000 qualifier since a 16-year-old Nadal in Hamburg in 2003 — issues are in all probability going nicely.
“It’s at all times particular to see what I’ve completed,” Shang, who superior previous Francisco Cerundolo and Mats Moraing in qualifying, advised ATPTour.com. “However for me, it’s extra essential to maneuver ahead.”
Shang, who will play fellow qualifier Jaume Munar on Friday, will transfer ahead with loads of keen followers, particularly in China. CCTV-5 Information, which broadcasts to a couple of billion shoppers throughout the nation, shared an interview about his Indian Wells qualification on Thursday.
In line with Zhang Bendou, who gained the 2013 Ron Bookman Media Excellence Award within the ATP Awards, followers in China are longing for a person from their nation to crack the High 100 of the ATP Rankings for the primary time.
“Proper now each transfer of Juncheng is huge information and being intently watched amongst tennis followers right here,” Zhang mentioned. “Males’s tennis in China has been a fable for a few years. China can ship rockets to area, amongst many different nice issues, however we simply haven’t been capable of produce even one ATP High 100 participant all alongside. We’ve been ready too lengthy. Now, we hope the wait will quickly be over.”
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Shang’s tennis journey started simply greater than a decade in the past. His father, Shang Yi, and mom, Wu Na, had been each skilled athletes. Shang performed soccer and Wu was a world-championship successful desk tennis participant. They each take pleasure in tennis and launched their son to the game when he was six.
“I keep in mind it was in an indoor facility and you possibly can hear a variety of gamers hitting and the ball sound was actually loud. I believed it was actually cool you possibly can hit with one other participant. It’s simply extra intense with the competitors,” Shang mentioned. “My dad and mom actually beloved tennis. They each had been athletes, so sports activities to them had been simply day by day issues. They received me into tennis and I actually beloved it, particularly the competitors.”
Like most youngsters who grew up lately, Shang’s favorite gamers had been the ‘Massive Three’ — Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. However early on, he was most concerned about getting on courtroom himself.
“Taking part in was probably the most enjoyable,” Shang mentioned. “I at all times thought once I was enjoying on courtroom, it was cool, extra than simply watching the fellows play. However as I received extra into tennis once I was older and watching the large names play was very enjoyable for me. I feel once I was eight, I began loving it.
“For each participant when they’re little, once they decide up a racquet, they dream of being on the largest levels in tennis. I used to be a type of children and enjoying simply makes me very pleased.”
Shang educated on the Academia Sanchez-Casal Nanjing in China, a department of the academy run by Spanish legend Emilio Sanchez. Shang’s father performed soccer in Spain, so in that sense there was familiarity.
“He actually trusted the method of how Spanish gamers had been made and we had been really going to Spain,” Shang recalled. “However we heard that Emilio Sanchez moved to america, in order that’s why we received into the academy there in Naples.”
At age 12, ‘Jerry’ and his father moved to Florida, the place he instantly made an impression on Sanchez, who reached World No. 7 in singles and No. 1 in doubles.
“He was at all times an excellent good child. He at all times had his approach of doing issues, it appeared he at all times had another gear,” Sanchez mentioned. “He performed at a tempo, then he performed one other match at one other tempo, he at all times had an additional gear to play with.”
Shang started coaching on the IMG Academy, additionally in Florida, when he was practically 15. At 16, he grew to become the No. 1 junior on the planet. The Chinese language teen has confirmed snug in opposition to the professionals, successful 4 ITF World Tennis Tour occasions. Sanchez believes he has a whole sport. But when there may be one factor he can enhance, it’s gaining extra of a bonus from his serve.
“All people will see him and say, ‘This child is easy’. It will likely be very troublesome to interrupt him down. Usually children, they don’t have the bodily energy, however he has the physicality to be very low,” Sanchez mentioned. “It doesn’t matter how good the participant is on the opposite aspect. He is not going to bend, he’ll at all times keep straight. He has an excellent sturdy core. He does issues easily and he’ll take in any sort of energy from the opponents in a really, very good approach.”
Shang Juncheng reached the 2021 US Open boys’ singles ultimate. Photograph Credit score: Sarah Stier/Getty Photographs
Shang might turn into a trailblazer for males’s tennis in China the way in which Li Na, a two-time main winner, was for the game as an entire.
“She was one in all my idols rising up and watching her win the Slams is probably the most particular factor ever,” Shang mentioned. “Particularly seeing Chinese language gamers can do it gave me a variety of hope.”
Zhang Bendou added that anticipation for Shang’s future is rising. “Juncheng Shang has created historical past and is an enormous hit amongst his Chinese language followers and on social media. Since our gold medal within the Athens Olympics in 2004, Chinese language tennis followers are actually spoiled by their gamers, however simply on the ladies’s aspect, led by Li Na and her colleagues,” Zhang mentioned. “You need to at all times have stability between yin and yang, proper? They’re actually wanting ahead to have a tour-level males’s participant, now they may get one.”
Sanchez believes that there is no such thing as a doubt Shang will ascend into the High 100 and make nationwide historical past. The Spaniard is just not involved with the stress on the teenager.
“He doesn’t have stress from China. He’ll have the stress globally every time he arrives, however not as a result of he’s going to be one of the best Chinese language participant,” Sanchez mentioned. “He needs to essentially be on high and he has that capability to be on high.”
It is a large second for the extremely touted teenager. However you wouldn’t have identified it Thursday. Shang did each American and Chinese language media earlier than taking a seat inside Stadium 1 to look at a WTA match between Caroline Garcia and Dayana Yastremska.
Shang is like many on the market, a child who loves tennis. Off the courtroom, he likes enjoying golf and studying books. The Harry Potter sequence is “by far” his favorite — Harry is his favorite character — and he has just lately been studying Sandworms of Dune. However for now, he’s focussed on the chance at hand in opposition to Munar.
“I’m simply actually pleased to even play on this event and qualifying was one of many greatest objectives for me this yr,” Shang mentioned. “I’m excited. Hopefully, I can provide him a combat.”
