Yuan Yue likely faces continued losses at the Australian Open, Zhang Zhizhen confronts a familiar rival, while Wang Xinyu’s progression seems assured.

This week, Wu Yibing secured a convincing victory over American Boye in the Australian Open qualifying final, marking his return to a Grand Slam main draw after three years. Similarly, Yuan Yue and Bai Zhuoxuan triumphed in their final qualifying matches to advance to the main event. Thus, the Australian Open features eight Chinese players. Who are these eight competitors, and what does their draw look like? Let this article guide you through the details.

Shang Juncheng, who once reached his first Grand Slam round of 32 at the Australian Open but now ranks outside the top 310 and is playing with a protected ranking, faces Spanish player Roberto Bautista Agut in the first round. Bautista Agut has had solid results in Grand Slams and Masters tournaments but, as a veteran, he failed to win any matches in the four majors last season and was knocked out early in the ATP250 Auckland event this week. In contrast, Shang recently reached the quarterfinals at the ATP250 Hong Kong tournament. If he maintains this form, he stands a good chance of defeating his opponent. What do you think?

Zhang Zhizhen is the Chinese male tennis player with the most wins on both the tour and in Grand Slam events. His first-round opponent is Argentine player Cerundolo, who has reached the round of 16 in past Grand Slams and is a formidable competitor. However, Zhang has previously beaten Cerundolo in Challenger events and Grand Slam qualifiers, giving him a psychological edge. Will Zhang leverage this advantage to advance further at the Australian Open? Let’s wait and see.

Bryan Cook’s opponent is Canadian player Denis Shapovalov, who twice became a significant challenge for Chinese male players in the 2023 season, witnessing breakthroughs in ATP250 and Masters events. However, Shapovalov has since defeated Chinese male players twice. This match will likely be very difficult for Bryan Cook to win.

Wu Yibing faces Italian player Nardi, who has yet to secure a win in a Grand Slam main draw, while Wu himself has never won a match in the Australian Open main draw. One of them will achieve a career breakthrough in this encounter. Since Nardi has not won a match in the 2026 season so far, I believe Wu Yibing is closer to victory. Hopefully, he can overcome his opponent and advance further.

Chinese “Sharapova” Wang Xinyu’s opponent is Ukrainian qualifier Kalinina, who won a Challenger title last season and reached a tour-level semifinal, showing solid ability. However, Wang Xinyu, who reached her first hard-court tour final last week, clearly holds the upper hand. If she performs normally, she should be able to defeat her opponent and move forward.

Veteran Zhang Shuai’s opponent is Australian player Preston. Last week, Zhang fought a tough three-set battle to defeat Preston in the WTA500 Brisbane qualifying. In this rematch, will Zhang maintain her advantage or will Preston seek revenge? I think this match will be very challenging for Zhang to win, but she still has a chance. Let’s wish this veteran player the best.

Yuan Yue’s opponent is Polish player Iga Swiatek, who has won six Grand Slam titles. Among Chinese players, only Zheng Qinwen has ever beaten her. If Yuan Yue can push the sets to tiebreaks, that alone would be considered a victory.

Bai Zhuoxuan faces Russian player Pavlyuchenkova, who has reached a Grand Slam final before. Honestly, Bai’s chances of winning this match are not high. However, after returning to competition, Bai’s ability to qualify for the Grand Slam main draw in her first attempt is already commendable. Hopefully, she can perform at her best and put on a good showing.

With eight Chinese players competing collectively, including a historic four men’s singles entries and sustained competitiveness in women’s singles, this Australian Open can be seen as a ‘group offensive’ for Chinese tennis. Fans, who do you think will go the farthest? That’s today’s tennis story; more to come tomorrow.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Yixin Jushi)