Melbourne, Jan 11 On the eve of his first match in the Australian Open 2025, the 19-year-old Chinese player Shang Juncheng repeatedly mentioned the word "happily" when fielding reporters' questions in Melbourne's hot summer air. Shang will face Spain's Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who beat the Chinese teenager twice last year. However, during the match at the Madrid Open in April, the Spaniard won a crucial point controversially, as the ball bounced twice before he returned it.
"You probably know what happened in Madrid that I felt was unfair, but I think this time I have some contingency plans if anything happens," Shang said. "It's more important to focus on yourself, play your tennis well, and then finish the match happily on the court," he added.
Discussing his opponent in Sunday's first-round match, Shang called Davidovich Fokina a good player with strong attacks, a good serve, and fast movement. "The way we play is probably quite similar," he said.
Looking back over the past year, Shang said "It was a very perfect season overall," in which he was able to compete throughout the year without any major injuries, reports Xinhua.
It was in 2024 that Shang made significant strides in the ATP rankings, leaping from 183rd into the top 50. In September, he won the Chengdu Open to gain his first ATP title. For 2025, Shang smiled and said he had set a small goal for himself, which is "very useful for himself" and "achievable."
"I think in every match, no matter how you have played, as long as you give 100 percent effort, no matter whether you lose 6-0, or in a third set or fifth set tiebreak, you have to finish this match happily, and then figure out what problems you have," he said. "When it is over, don't think too much, don't put all your pressure on this one match," Shang said.
Of the 128 men's singles players in the 2025 Australian Open, six are under the age of 20, and Shang is one of them. But having finished junior tennis at 16, Shang is no newcomer in men's professional tennis.
As a beacon for the development of tennis in China and around the world, Shang shared his experience with young tennis players who are battling to progress like he was just a few years ago.
"You may have to maintain a positive state of mind. All players may have good skills, but if you can't keep a good mindset, you can't realize your full capacity," Shang said. "So I think the most important thing is to play happily."
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