The Beijing Boy Takes It All In at the China Open

Shang Juncheng’s China Open has come to an end, but through all the ups and downs, Beijing’s boy never stopped smiling. 

Competing in both the men’s singles and doubles at this year’s tournament, Shang and his partner Alexander Bublik lost 4-6, 4-6 to the Dutch duo of Sander Arends and David Pel in the men’s doubles semifinals. Just a day earlier, he had suffered a crushing singles defeat to World No. 2 Alexander Zverev while struggling with sharp abdominal pain. 

With his body battered and his tournament run coming to a close, many fans and reporters worried about his state of mind as he walked into the mixed zone for his media conference.

Yet, standing before the media, Shang looked surprisingly positive and relaxed. He said he accomplished his goal of bringing an energetic atmosphere and joyful emotions to everyone.

During his singles second-round match, “I felt a lot of discomfort, especially on my serve returns,” he said after losing 6-0, 6-3. “In that match, it felt like he was playing all by himself,” Shang reflected in the media conference.

Following extensive discussions with his team, the injured Shang considered withdrawing from the doubles event. But this was Beijing.

“If this weren’t in Beijing, I definitely wouldn’t have played this doubles match,” he explained. “Beijing is my hometown tournament, and people came here to see me. My name was on the draw sheet, so at the very least, I had to get out on court and try.”

To understand his deep connection to this venue, one has to go back to his first-round singles match. In his fourth appearance at the tournament, he secured his first-ever singles victory in his hometown, beating Sebastian Baez in straight sets.

“The China Open is a tournament I’ve watched since I was a child," he said. "It was the first professional tournament I ever saw in person. To compete in my hometown, makes me extremely happy.”

Many people describe Shang as having an easygoing, relaxed demeanor. When asked at how he balances the desire to win with enjoying the game, his answer was far more earnest than that easygoing image suggests:

“I think people might not always see it accurately. Everyone shows a relaxed side, but everyone gets nervous too,” he said. “I admit I was very nervous in my first match. My whole body was stiff. What people saw might have just looked like me being relaxed and enjoying the game. 

"But I do prefer to enjoy the match, absorb every point, reflecting on what went well and what didn't, and then just move on to play the next point.”

Absorb every point, then play the next.

Throughout the week, Shang juggled both singles and doubles. When he won in singles, he fought on in doubles the next day. When he lost in singles, he slept it off and showed up on the doubles court as usual.

“I don’t really know how to make adjustments either,” he said, when asked about resetting mentally. “My body feels very uncomfortable right now, so I’ll just get some sleep first and see tomorrow when I wake up,” he added, speaking as casually as if discussing everyday matters.

At the end of his media conference, a reporter asked what advice he had for young kids in the crowd who were hunting for signatures and dreaming of breaking into professional tennis. He paused to think, then offered a sincere suggestion typical of a Beijing boy:

“The most important thing is to be happy doing what you do. If you can enjoy the journey, you will do it much better,” he said. “Losing makes you feel frustrated, but I think you have to keep looking forward and keep doing your own job well every single day. That's what matters most.”

The pain was real, and so was the defeat.

However, for this 21-year-old hometown boy, those things always come second to enjoying the game. Step onto the court first, find the joy first, and leave the rest for tomorrow after a good night’s sleep.

By Rong Xinyue, Ye Ruixi