China’s history-maker Wu Yibing on inspiring next generation, handling pressure and his love for cooking

Shahida Jacobs
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Wu Yibing during a match

Wu Yibing notched up a historic ATP Tour singles title on Sunday and he is hopeful “there is more to come” from him as he looks to inspire China’s next generation of tennis players.

While former world No 2 Li Na paved way for women’s tennis in China having won the 2011 French Open and 2014 Australian Open, there have not been too many male tennis stars from the country.

But Wu is now a man on the charge after he became the first Chinese male player to win an ATP title when he defeated fifth seed John Isner in the Dallas Open final.

He also beat top seed Taylor Fritz in the semi-final, eighth seed Adrian MMannarino in the quarter-final and third seed Denis Shapovalov in the second round.

His success in the United States also saw him surge up the ATP Rankings to a career-high No 58, which makes him the highest-ranked male player from China.

Naturally he is delighted with rise so far.

“I feel happy. It’s not only about winning the title,” he told ATPTour.com. “It’s more about me personally making history, also for the country. It’s huge for the next generation. For me, I need to keep going, keep my body healthy and I’m sure there’s more to come.”

Wu first shot to fame when he won the double in the juniors at the US Open in 2017 as he defeated Argentine Axel Geller in the singles final and teamed up with Taiwan’s Hsu Yu-hsiou to win the doubles.

However, an injury stunted his progress as he missed nearly three years of action.

Last year he returned with a bang as he became the first Chinese man to reach the third round of a Grand Slam, doing so at the US Open, and he has carried that form into 2023.

There is certainly a lot of weight of expectation on the 23-year-old’s shoulders.

“I’ve been through a lot of things. I’ve been through injuries, I’ve been through many difficult situations when I was growing up,” he said. “I think the reason why I’m relaxed now on the tennis court is because I trust myself. If you want to beat me, you have to work hard.”

He added: “Of course there were a lot of doubts because I did surgery and the rehab wasn’t going well. It took longer than it should [have], but it turned out I’m here. I’d be [lying] if I said 100 per cent I’m going to be here today. But the process is always the most important thing.

“I trust myself and I work hard for it. In the gym, on the tennis court, off the court, I always think about tennis. The way I look at tennis, now it’s more relaxing, more enjoyable than before.”

So what does he enjoy away from the tennis court.

“I can cook! Is that a thing? I’m pretty into cooking TV shows, which I watch every day. I love cooking different food and I think this also gives me inner peace when I’m alone in the house or after practice,” he said.

“Even if you’re tired, you still cut the food, you cook and you wash. That makes me more comfortable. I don’t know if it tastes good because sometimes it can be terrible, but you just enjoy the process.”