Advertisement
Advertisement
Australian Open
Get more with myNEWS
A personalised news feed of stories that matter to you
Learn more
Wang Xinyu in action against Britain’s Harriet Dart during a women’s singles match at the Melbourne Summer Set. Photo: AFP

Australian Open: Surging Chinese tennis star Wang Xinyu on ‘big sister’ Li Na and her love of literature

  • Alongside Zheng Qinwen and Wang Xiyu, Wang rounds out China’s next trio of potential tennis stars
  • The 20-year-old from Shenzhen has been on a run, brushing past reigning US Open champion Emma Raducanu on her way to a likely top 100 debut

Wang Xinyu is one of three promising Chinee tennis stars to feature at this year’s Australian Open.

The 20-year-old from Shenzhen had a stellar 2021 season, brushing past reigning US Open champion Emma Raducanu on her way to a likely top 100 debut.

Alongside Zheng Qinwen and Wang Xiyu – both of whom picked up wins on day 1 of the Australian Open – Wang will be one to watch as she takes on American Ann Li in her opening match.

 

Once a promising gymnast, Wang soon discovered her height would be a disadvantage. She swapped the gym mats for a tennis racket and never looked back.

“I remember after school I used to go there for training every day, and I was the tallest of all the others,” she told WTA Insider. But for her surging tennis career, height has not been an issue.

At the 2021 Upper Austria Ladies Linz, Wang pulled off a big upset, outlasting reigning US Open champion Emma Raducanu over a gripping 2 hours and 36 minutes. It was one of several highlights of the past year, but none as memorable as meeting her idol and Chinese tennis great Li Na.

Wang had previously met Li through her father Wang Peng, head of the national tennis team, and describes her as “like a big sister”. While she said Li’s advice on tour has been invaluable, it was a line from the two-time grand slam champion’s autobiography My Life that really stuck.

“She writes when you are on court, you are all by yourself. I think that’s really how you feel during the match,” Wang said. “No matter how many people you’re travelling with, once you step on court, all the decisions you make are by yourself.

“That’s also what’s fascinating about tennis for me. That’s challenging and also exciting – when you have the feeling you need to make all decisions by yourself.”

Wang credits her recent success to several factors, a new coach, a better understanding of the game and the ability to make fast, on-court decisions.

“Sometimes it’s when you’re in the moment on court that you figure out that, OK, at this point I’m gonna stay calm and stay aggressive, or I’m going to put one more shot in and just make one more rally,” she said.

“Decisions like this, you figure out on court, and that’s the part I’ve most improved.”

Wang Xinyu in action during the Melbourne Summer Set earlier this month. Photo: AFP

Since September, Wang has also been working with Iain Hughes, the Briton who formerly coached names such as Elina Svitolina and Belinda Bencic.

“He’s given me some tips on how to be more relaxed on court,” Wang said.

“Sometimes when you’re trying so hard to focus on one shot, or one point, that’s actually when you get too nervous for no reason and then it’s like you don’t know how to play. I think that was really useful. It’s simple things – like try to breathe in, breathe out; and try to focus on small things that can bring your focus back on court.”

Amid the pressures of travel and competition, there are some simple pleasures she holds on to, none more so than reading, or in her case, rereading her favourite novels.

“For me, if I have some books I really like, I’ll read them over and over again,” she said. “Every time you read it, you find something you didn’t notice, or you have a different understanding of it. I’ve also read Dance Dance Dance – those two are my favourites by Murakami.”

2