Shang Juncheng's journey ends at the Shanghai Masters, becoming the fourth player to achieve a first victory over a top ten opponent!

As Shang Juncheng lost to Portugal's leading player Borges, the Chinese men's tennis squad's campaign at this year's Shanghai Masters has come to an end. What left the deepest impression on you during this trip? I think many would highlight Shang Juncheng's victory against Khachanov.

That's exactly right. With Shang Juncheng's win over the highest-ranked Russian player "Thunder God," China’s men's tennis now counts four players who have defeated opponents ranked in the world top ten at the time. So, which matches were these exactly? Let's take a look:

Zhang Zhizhen: 3 wins

2023 Madrid 3-6 7-6 7-6 Fritz (No.10)

2023 US Open 6-4 5-7 6-2 0-6 6-2 Ruud (No.5)

2024 Halle 6-3 2-6 7-6 Medvedev (No.5)

The player with the most wins over top ten opponents is former number one Zhang Zhizhen. At the Madrid Masters, he came back from behind to beat the consistently strong American top player Fritz by winning two consecutive tiebreaks, marking his first victory over a top ten player.

Then at the US Open, he defeated Ruud, the previous year's finalist, in a five-set thriller, creating a huge upset. This was also the highest-ranked player ever beaten by a Chinese player at that time.

Last year at Halle, facing another former finalist Medvedev, Zhang Zhizhen once again prevailed in a crucial tiebreak, completing his record of having beaten top ten players on all surfaces.

Bublik:

2024 China Open 7-5 6-4 Rublev (No.6)

Bublik’s best result on the tour so far is reaching the semifinals, achieved last year at the China Open. Backed by the home crowd, he played magnificently and defeated world number six Rublev.

Wu Yibing

2023 Dallas 6-7 7-5 6-4 Fritz (No.8)

At this year's Hangzhou tournament, Wu Yibing proved his strength in front of the home fans. When he won the first mainland Chinese men's tour title, he had already beaten American top player Fritz. Moreover, during that event, he was in outstanding form, also defeating several strong players including former American number one Isner.

Shang Juncheng:

2025 Shanghai 7-6 6-3 Khachanov (No.10)

Before the Chinese season, thanks to his strong performance in the North American autumn events, Khachanov's ranking returned to the top ten, making him the highest-ranked among Russia’s "big three." However, Shang Juncheng delivered an impressive showing comparable to last year's Chengdu tournament, toppling his opponent and reaching a personal milestone.

With the growing popularity and development of tennis in our country, we believe more tour champions will emerge, and increasingly more players from the men's team will defeat top-ranked opponents worldwide.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Luo Cheng Qiye)