Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen mentioned Thursday that tennis has change into so standard in China that gamers are struggling to e book courts and discover coaches.
Zheng turned the primary Chinese language participant to win an Olympic singles tennis gold when she triumphed in Paris, sparking an unprecedented wave of curiosity within the sport at house.
Tournaments in Beijing, Shanghai and different Chinese language cities have performed out in entrance of packed-out crowds in latest months, with native gamers having fun with unprecedented success.
Zheng is taking part in on the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, the place she began her marketing campaign with a 7-5, 6-0 win over Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima on Thursday.
The 22-year-old high seed mentioned tennis is flourishing in any respect ranges in China, not simply the skilled recreation.
“After I received on the Olympic Video games, tennis began to be extra standard in China,” mentioned the world quantity seven.
“Regular folks began to know tennis as a sport.
“I heard proper now in China it’s robust to e book a tennis courtroom, and in addition robust to discover a coach for tennis. Earlier than it wasn’t like that.”
Zheng isn’t the one Chinese language participant having fun with success on the lads’s and girls’s excursions.
Wang Xinyu and Zhang Zhizhen additionally got here away from the Paris Olympics with medals, taking silver in combined doubles.
Zhang and Bu Yunchaokete then contested an all-Chinese language semifinal on the Hangzhou Open final month.
The 22-year-old Bu went on to trigger a sensation on the China Open in Beijing, beating sixth seed Andrey Rublev within the quarterfinals earlier than dropping within the semis to world primary Jannik Sinner.
Zheng mentioned skilled success is having an impression on grass-roots tennis in China.
“All of the mother and father assume tennis is a very good sport, so they need their children taking part in tennis too,” she mentioned.
Zheng arrived in Tokyo after dropping to Aryna Sabalenka within the remaining of the Wuhan Open.
She faces Canada’s Leylah Fernandez within the quarterfinals on Friday.
“I attempted to discover extra issues in my recreation, attempt to go extra to the web, be extra aggressive in comparison with earlier than,” Zheng mentioned after her win over world quantity 57 Uchijima.
“I feel it’s time so as to add new issues to my recreation.”