My Influences: Wong on first meeting with 15-year-old Alcaraz
Coleman Wong made history earlier this season when he became the first player from Hong Kong since 1972 to win an ATP main draw match. The 20-year-old advanced to the second round at the ATP 250 in Hangzhou, gaining precious points in his quest to compete at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF.
Currently ninth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah, Wong will aim to finish the season strong and follow in the footsteps of previous champions who have competed at the 20-and-under event.
As part of our Next Gen Influences series, Wong caught up with ATPTour.com to talk about his first meeting with Carlos Alcaraz, his admiration for Jannik Sinner and his Jeddah goals.
[ATP APP]Which former Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF champion did you enjoy watching most when growing up?
I enjoyed watching Carlos Alcaraz the most. I like watching Alcaraz play because of his game and his footwork. That [is how] I want to be in the future.
Who out of the former champions is your biggest idol and do you remember your first encounter with them?
I think it would be Carlos because I remember playing him at the junior Davis Cup when we were young. It was the first ever clay match of my life and I was facing Carlos, [who won]. It was quite an experience.
Which former Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF champion do you most identify with?
I identify most with Jannik Sinner because of his timing his footwork and decision making.
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Who have been your biggest other influences in your life?
I would say my sister and my cousin have been big influences. They always try to help me with things and they always be there for me no matter what.
What have you learned this past year on Tour?
I learned that everyone on Tour has their specialties and I’m really proud to be one of the players on Tour.
What sort of attributes do you look for when bringing people into your team?
I would obviously look for people who can help me. I think it is most important that we get along well because we need to travel a lot of weeks together in a year.
Most of the current Top 20 in the PIF ATP Rankings played at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF. How inspiring is that to see?
I really hope that I can make it to Next Gen Finals because it’s my goal and seeing most of the players that played Next Gen Finals before make it to the Top 20 or Top 10 means a lot to me. I really want to be one of them.