Zhang Zhizhen: I will be fully prepared to truly compete for victory next year.

On September 25th Beijing time, Zhang Zhizhen appeared in the first round of the 2025 China Open men's singles as a wildcard. Against the qualifier Atmana, he battled through two sets but was defeated 4-6, 2-6. Post-match, Zhang attended the press conference with an ice pack applied to his right shoulder.

Zhang Zhizhen

Regarding the match, Zhang said: “My opponent played very well. After the first set, I noticed he already had 16 winners, while I had much fewer. I think his baseline game was very solid, and his serve was also in great form today, which put a lot of pressure on my returns. I haven't played against a left-handed player in the past six months, so the rhythm and feel were quite different. It was difficult to find a rhythm during the match. After six months without competition, experiencing this is actually quite normal.”

When asked about when he could return to normal competition and preparation, Zhang said it’s hard to predict because many factors are beyond control. “Everyone hopes to recover to their previous level as soon as possible, but patience is necessary. Recovery requires taking the right steps slowly and steadily. I don’t know exactly how much longer I need, but I feel I have improved a lot. It’s tough for everyone, and I hope the recovery time will be as short as possible, so I can get back quickly.”

“It’s unlikely that I will be fully recovered this year. These past three weeks have been part of my recovery process, showing progress but not yet fully competing to win. We are seeing if I can handle the pressure and whether my condition allows me to complete matches at this intensity. Next year, I will be fully prepared to compete and aim for victories.”

In his comeback, Zhang defeated Bu Yunchaokete in Hangzhou in his first match, but lost the next two. He admitted the last two matches reflected reality. “The first match was unexpected; it seemed like everyone thought that after such a good return from injury, the following matches would also be good. But the truth is shown in the last two matches. After six months without playing, there are many situations to handle, and some deficiencies appear.”

Zhang will partner with Shang Juncheng in the men’s doubles next. He revealed Shang was originally going to team up with Wu Yibing, but since Wu reached the semifinals in Hangzhou, playing again in Beijing would be too physically demanding. “I felt good in Hangzhou; overall condition was okay. After Wu Yibing and Shang Juncheng withdrew, there was a wildcard available. After discussing, we decided to give it a try. We were already planning to partner next week in Shanghai, so starting a week earlier is not a big issue.”

(Text and editing by Dato, photos by Visual China)