Wang Xinyu: Embracing the growth and changes that tennis has brought to me

On January 20th, Beijing time, another great result emerged from the Australian Open women's singles. Chinese player Wang Xinyu comfortably beat qualifier Karolina with two 6-3 sets. Reflecting on the win, Wang Xinyu remarked, "Qualifiers are always challenging because they have played three matches and quickly get into form. My opponent’s shots today were flat and very attacking. Luckily, I had previously watched her play, so I could adjust more quickly today."

Throughout the match, Wang Xinyu served 10 aces, a performance she was very pleased with: "Today, my serving, returning, movement, and handling of short balls were all quite good. Not only was I running a lot, but I also made my opponent run, which felt great."

Some noticed that Wang Xinyu had protective bandaging on her left arm today. She responded, "It was just a minor incident. I felt a little discomfort while playing this morning. I even told my therapist about it. When I got on court today, I was very relaxed — if I play badly, it's your fault; if I play well, it’s all me."

In recent years, Wang Xinyu has become more willing to show her humor and ease, which she sees as a sign of growing maturity. "Like this morning’s little arm discomfort, I thought, OK, it happened. Now what can I do? I just put on a protective wrap. If it hurts, what should I do? I focus more on what I can control. I think this is the growth tennis has given me."

This year, the Chinese team has performed well at the Australian Open. Bai Zhuoxuan upset the well-known Pavlyuchenkova, and Yuan Yue played many impressive rallies against Swiatek. “Confidence” has become a frequently mentioned word. Wang Xinyu shared her thoughts: "I believe confidence builds up from small things around you and through concrete actions. You can’t just say ‘You’re the best’ to yourself every day and expect it to happen. Maybe just making a good cup of coffee in the morning can make your whole day happy."

Melbourne is not unfamiliar to Wang Xinyu. The bright sunshine, the city’s greenery, and the park scenery feel like a natural “recharging station.” The large number of Chinese fans cheering on site makes Melbourne feel like a “home court” for Chinese players. We also wish Wang Xinyu to advance further this year and play tennis with confidence and composure.

(Text and editing: Sunny)