China's tennis star Wu Yibing sets sights on world top 30

Wu Yibing of China hits a return during a men's singles second round match against Marton Fucsovics of Hungary at Boss Open 2023 tennis tournament in Stuttgart, Germany, June 15, 2023. (Photo by Philippe Ruiz/Xinhua)

Chinese tennis player Wu Yibing has set his sights on qualifying into the world top 30 in the ATP rankings.

Wu finished his maiden grass court event on June 15 as he was defeated by Hungary's Marton Fucsovics 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in the 2nd round of the ATP Stuttgart Open.

"I managed to adapt to the fast tempo of the grass court," Wu said in an interview with the Xinhua News Agency. "You have to be more aggressive and resilient playing on the grass court."

The 23-year-old said he has a lot of room for improvement and he is aiming to squeeze into the world top 30 this year.

"I've learned a lot from my coaching team, which will help take me to a new height. More games and better adversaries will help me improve quickly," said Wu, who beat John Isner in a thrilling three-set final at the Dallas Open to become the first man from China to win an ATP title.

The victory in Dallas not only gave impetus to his professional career, but also served as a motivation for young Chinese players, said Wu, currently ranked world No.64.

"I'm trying to improve my world rankings along with the other Chinese male players. No Chinese mainland players have made it into the world top 100 prior to me and Zhang Zhizhen. It gave young Chinese players and parents a lot of confidence," he said. 

Wu said he believes that tennis will grow more popular in China. 

"I want to contribute to the development of tennis in China by winning more games and improving my world rankings. With better results, we can win more support and draw more youths to engage in tennis and enjoy the sport," he noted.

In his spare time, Wu loves to play computer games and reading. 

"Recently, I've read the biography of South Korean soccer icon Son Heung-min. He is the best Asian soccer play. He has a rigorous father, while I have a strict mom. We have similar backgrounds and are not from well-off families," he added.