How to make a splash in Shanghai.

Arthur Fils wasted little time showing Chinese fans why he is one of the ATP Tour’s most highly rated talents on Thursday at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, where the 19-year-old breezed past Pavel Kotov 6-1, 6-4 in just 78 minutes on Stadium Court.

The Frenchman delivered a dazzling display of shotmaking to notch his second main-draw ATP Masters 1000 win. He outhit Kotov by 25 winners to nine in a confident performance which also showcased his expert all-court movement.

“[I’m delighted] because I played against a great opponent,” said Fils. “I’ve known him a long time, he plays great. I was pretty happy with my first set, and my second set was good also. He played some great points and great games so he came back a little bit, but at the end I finished the match in a good position, so I’m really happy about it.”

A high-level start for Fils @SH_RolexMasters

Fils using his MASSIVE forehand to create many #InAttack chances 💪

Fils Fh avg speed today 85 mph
Fils 52-week avg speed 78 mph
Tour Fh avg speed 74 mph#TennisInsights | #RolexShanghaiMasters pic.twitter.com/MhPN8U96g0

— Tennis Insights (@tennis_insights) October 5, 2023

Fils is now 15-13 for the season at tour-level, a tally which includes lifting his maiden ATP Tour title in May in Lyon and reaching an ATP 500 semi-final in July in Hamburg. He was No. 316 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings a year ago but is now up to No. 40 in the Live Rankings following his win against Kotov.

It’s all in the name 🇫🇷

Arthur Fils x @Gael_Monfils
#RolexShanghaiMasters | @SH_RolexMasters pic.twitter.com/aXIInm0hld

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 5, 2023

Another 19-year-old Frenchman, Luca Van Assche, was watching his good friend Fils from the stands on Stadium Court. Fils (in fifth place) and Van Assche (sixth) are well positioned in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Jeddah as they chase a spot at the Next Gen ATP Finals. Later on Thursday, Van Assche missed the opportunity to further boost his own chances of reaching the season-ending 21-and-under event when he fell to Diego Schwartzman.

The former World No. 8 Schwartzman clinched just his 10th tour-level win of the year with a 5-7, 6-3, 6-2 triumph against Van Assche. The Argentine converted seven of 10 break points he earned for a two-hour, 49-minute win to advance to face 27th seed Jiri Lehecka.

A third #NextGenATP Frenchman, qualifier Terence Atmane, celebrated his Masters 1000 debut with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 win against Jordan Thompson. The 21-year-old Atmane, who only made his tour-level debut at the ATP 250 event in Zhuhai two weeks ago, powered 30 winners past his Australian opponent to book a second-round clash with Nicolas Jarry.

With his win, Atmane jumped one spot to 12th in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Jeddah. The Frenchman kick-started his late-season charge to reach the Next Gen ATP Finals in September, when he lifted his first two ATP Challenger Tour titles in Zhangjiagang and Guangzhou.

One of the competitors at the 2022 Next Gen ATP Finals, Tseng Chun-Hsin, also tasted victory on Thursday in Shanghai. The 22-year-old qualifier from Chinese Taipei rallied to a 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 triumph against Alexander Shevchenko. It was a first ATP Tour win for 12 months for Tseng, who will meet Astana champion Adrian Mannarino in the second round.

Lorenzo Sonego notched his first Shanghai win by downing Australian qualifier Philip Sekulic 6-3, 6-2. The World No. 59 Sonego, who made his debut in Shanghai at the previous edition of the tournament in 2019, will meet 10th seed Frances Tiafoe in the second round.

To close the day, Japan’s Yosuke Watanuki survived a late-night thriller against home hope Shang Juncheng, defeating the #NextGenATP star 7-6(7), 4-6, 6-4 after two hours, 57 minutes. In the final set, Watanuki won 17 of 20 points behind his first serve to finish the heavy-hitting encounter just 10 minutes before 1 a.m. At a career-high No. 71 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, Watanuki will next meet seventh seed Taylor Fritz.

Robert Davis is the author of Elements of Coaching Professional Tennis, available on Amazon.

From shouts of “Vamos”, to endless drop shots and topspin lobs, there is no denying the Carlos Alcaraz effect on tennis in China. The country with a population of 1.4 billion is in the midst of a tennis explosion with courts, competitions and coaches popping up all over the nation. While Alcaraz may be the most popular player, credit must be given to China’s frontline stars Wu Yibing, Zhang Zhizhen and Shang Juncheng for getting men’s tennis on the big screen.

Nowadays Chinese players shuttle between Beijing and Bradenton, Shanghai and Spain, like morning commuter stops. It is not just the foreign academies that are cashing in on the tennis boom, but the entire Chinese tennis industry; racquets, balls and apparel are flying off the shelves. And the only pickleballs you will find in China come in a jar.

It was not always so. Back in 1993, Australia’s Desmond Tyson landed in China on a goodwill mission between the Chinese and Australian governments. Tyson was tasked with assisting the national tennis team with training camps and coach education workshops. 

“It was definitely interesting,” remembers Tyson of the early days. “On one end, they had some pretty good players already, and on the other end, they were still stringing racquets with fishing line. But it was very obvious that they were keen to get better.”

China does patience really well. In fact, a common Mandarin colloquialism is: “The winner is the last man standing.” After nearly three decades of heavy financial investment in all areas of performance tennis plus a steady barrage of blue-chip foreign coach influence, China tennis has finally arrived.

While Wu, Zhang and Shang, are providing the inspiration, it is former ATP Tour players like Zhang Ze and Gong Mao-Xin who are supplying the tennis education to the next generation. Today, Zhang is the head coach of the Nanjing Tennis Academy, where many top Chinese junior players train. Gong is coaching young pros and consulting with tennis parents in Guangzhou. Zhang and Gong are part of a wave of Asian former players who played on the ATP Tour and the Grand Slams who have transitioned to coaching. Lu Yen-Hsun of Taipei and Danai Udomchoke of Thailand are also coaching Chinese pro players.

Zhang Ze coaches a young student. Photo credit: Robert Davis

“Credit to the China city teams and government programs for all the development projects that have contributed in one way or another to not just Yibing and Zhizhen’s success but a lot of other good players,” says Lu. 

Tell a tennis parent in China that their child will need at least 10,000 hours of serious training to become elite, and they are likely to reply with the expression, “There is no sweet without sweat.” 

Performance tennis can be a high-risk venture, but it is a risk worth taking for many Chinese parents. Even if their child does not make it to the ATP Tour but becomes good enough to play U.S. collegiate tennis, then the investment was well worth it.

ATP Tour coach Juan Manuel Esparcia took charge of the Beijing City Team from 2014-2016.

“Chinese tennis has done an extraordinarily good job the last 10-plus years,” claims Esparcia. “They built a very solid infrastructure and created a large base of players. The China Tennis Association (CTA) hosted many tournaments of all levels, providing opportunities for their own players and bringing in foreign players who could observe and compare. Over the years, China tennis has developed greatly in all the areas of performance tennis from coaches to trainers and physios.” 

Rolex Shanghai Masters.” />
^{Buyunchaokete, 21, earned his maiden ATP Tour win at the Rolex Shanghai Masters Wednesday. Credit: Peter Staples/ATP Tour}

There is a magical moment for both national associations and players alike: reaching the Top 100 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. It is how associations measure development and players chart progress. But for some, there is an invisible obstacle that hinders the breakthrough. Call it the belief barrier. Just as Roger Bannister did by running a sub-four-minute mile, thus encouraging other runners to achieve what many thought impossible, China is hoping for the similar breakthroughs now that Wu and Zhang are securely in the Top 100. And with 18-year-old Shang (World No. 158) knocking on the door, it might not be too long before others follow.

Sweden’s Joakim Nystrom, who previously coached China’s first big hope, Zhang Ze, understands what having a teammate start winning at the highest level can do for a nation.

“When Mats Wilander won the French Open in 1982 at age 17,” recalls Nystrom, “I was ranked about World No. 70. I thought, I beat Mats in practice all the time so I should at least be Top 20. And I began to rise steadily up the rankings. So often when one player breaks through, the others that he practises with feel as if they are good enough and that confidence allows them to achieve a much higher ranking.”

What Nystrom is referring to is called the “Swedish Tennis Miracle”. That is what the Swedish government coined the incredible success of men’s tennis following Bjorn Borg’s rise to the top of the tennis world. At one point in the 1980s, Sweden had seven players ranked inside the world’s Top 25. 

It seems a long shot that China could possibly emulate Sweden’s success. But who knows what might happen if Wu and Zhang catch fire? As the locals like to say, “First the ripple, then the roar.” 

The legacy of Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah goes far beyond their results on court; the 345 doubles matches they won together on the ATP Tour, their 19 titles —including two Grand Slams— and becoming the World’s No. 1 duo in 2019. The biggest impact the Colombians have had was their commitment to working together in a discipline in which long partnerships are rare.

“The first time I met Sebas, we were five years old. We started playing in the same city. We grew up together and ended up experiencing a lot of things together,” explained Farah. “The only others with a similar backstory are the Bryan brothers. The difference being that we formed a brotherhood along the way and, thanks to hard work, a lack of ego between us, and not arguing over minutiae, we managed to have a successful partnership.”

It is a miracle that they ever crossed paths in the first place. Robert was born in Montreal, Canada, where his parents Patrick and Eva had settled after fleeing the Lebanese civil war. The fact that the Farah Makssoud family ended up in Cali, Colombia, was mainly due to a holiday they took in the late eighties. They ended up staying there, Patrick as a tennis coach and Eva as a teacher.

It was in Cali where destiny brought Robert and Juan Sebastian together. They met at a local tournament for under-eights. They played on adjoining courts in the first round and both of them beat older players. “That’s when I realised the potential they both had,” remembers Patrick, who would eventually become coach to the two of them.

They soon found themselves on the opposite side of the net, at a tournament in the same city. Cabal made the most of his one-year age advantage over Robert. Not only did he win that match, but also every one they would play for some time to come. Robert used to cry after those defeats. “They were very tense matches, but they came through them and continued to be friends,” added Patrick. At twelve, around the time that saw Farah’s first victory between them, they played their first event as a duo. They turned heads from the start.

“I remember the first doubles match I played against them,” said Santiago Giraldo, former World No. 28. “It was in Medellin, in 1998. They easily beat my teammate and I. I remember Sebas hitting a ‘tweener’ winner against us that day. They were so good!”

As well as being greater than the sum of their parts on court, Cabal and Farah kept building on a friendship that proved immune to the perils of their rivalry in singles, the potential difficulties of living together in Bogota, and the distance when Robert accepted a scholarship to study at the University of Southern California, followed by over a decade of playing together on the ATP Tour.

Since making their debut on Tour as a duo, winning in the first round of Wimbledon in 2011, they have never been apart. Although they would both play the odd tournament with other partners, particularly when the other was injured, playing together was their priority ever since the idea came to them in 2009.

That year, at the wedding of Colombian former tennis player Pablo Gonzalez, Cabal and Farah decided they would form what turned out to be one of the most stable partnerships in recent years on tour. It was Robert’s idea, he was a few months short of graduating from university and wanted another shot at turning professional.

In 2010, they began their journey together on the ITF Futures and ATP Challenger Tours. When their ranking was high enough to enter ATP Tour draws —largely thanks to a runners-up finish for Cabal at the 2011 French Open— they became practically inseparable. Their commitment to constant teamwork bore countless fruits, including the 2019 Wimbledon title.

“The most amazing moment of our careers was winning Wimbledon, thanks to that we became the No. 1. That was the proof that processes bear results,” reflected Cabal, and Farah backed him up: “You can’t win a Grand Slam from one day to the next. [Carlos] Alcaraz did it at 18 years of age, but we’re more mortal and it took us over 30. Thanks to God, we ended up winning another one.”

Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah win Wimbledon in 2019.” />
^{Juan Sebastian Cabal (left) and Robert Farah win Wimbledon in 2019. Credit: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images}

Their second major title would come later that season, at the 2019 US Open. The fact that they reached at least the semi-finals at Grand Slams ten times is further indication of their consistency at the largest events of all. They also won two ATP Masters 1000 (Rome 2018 and 2019) and reached the semi-finals in two of their three Nitto ATP Finals participations.

The physical wear and tear of so much time fighting for the biggest prizes brought forward their retirement. They announced it in August, proud of the record they would leave behind. “We’ve completed our time and we’re content as we leave,” said Cabal, 37. “We’re leaving with huge gratitude for everything tennis gave us,” added Farah, 36. In the last US Open they played their final ATP Tour match (l. to Koolhof/Skupski in the second round).

Last week, they were set to play the Challenger event in Bogota as their last tournament. In the end, they were unable to participate, due to minor injuries, but the homages are flooding in, and they will continue to do so.

Although they have not written off a return to tennis in some form – such as coaching –, for now they are only thinking about resting with their families. It is highly probable that they will do so together. After all, their farewell to tennis does not mean goodbye to one another. “He hasn’t been a friend for some time, he’s family,” explained Cabal. “We’re only ending a professional journey.” Farah agreed: “Sebas is a brother to me. His children call me Uncle Rob. My daughter calls him uncle too. Our paths will be united for our whole lives.”

Taylor Fritz and Alex de Minaur were invited to experience the charm of Shanghai on Tuesday ahead of the Rolex Shanghai Masters.

Fritz and De Minaur enjoyed a tour of The Bund on the ‘City News Service’ themed sightseeing bus, learned about traditional Chinese calligraphy and taught tennis skills to two Chinese youngsters on the banks of the Huangpu River on the North Bund.

“Today’s experience was an unforgettable memory,” said Fritz and De Minaur. “It is a very good cultural experience to understand and appreciate the charm of the city of Shanghai.”

On the banks by the Bund 😎🖌@Taylor_Fritz97 and @alexdeminaur try their hand at Chinese calligraphy #RolexShanghaiMasters | @SH_RolexMasters pic.twitter.com/3ZaATuvHJz

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 4, 2023

The American and Australian relished the chance to play tennis on the banks of the Huangpu River and enjoy the breathtaking scenery on both sides of the river. With the help of the two young players, Fritz and De Minaur then completed their calligraphic works of ‘Shanghai’ and ‘Dashi’, which in Chinese means ‘master’.

Inviting top tennis players to explore Shanghai culture has long been a tradition of the tournament, so the stars of the ATP Tour can view the Chinese city in a different perspective.

Alex de Minaur and Taylor Fritz enjoy Chinese culture ahead of the Rolex Shanghai Masters.” />
^{Credit: Rolex Shanghai Masters.}

Zhang Zhizhen sealed a hometown breakthrough in style Wednesday at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.

The leading Chinese player in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings raced to a 6-1, 6-2 triumph against Richard Gasquet to claim his maiden victory at his home ATP Masters 1000 event. The 26-year-old made his main-draw debut four years ago at the previous edition of the Shanghai event (l. to Hurkacz), and he was relieved to break his duck at the next opportunity in front of his home fans.

“I was very nervous before the match because I had never had a success in Shanghai,” said Zhang, who had also not won a qualifying match in five attempts at his home event. “Finally, in 2023, I got a first win, so I’m super happy about it.”

Statement made 🇨🇳

Hometown hero Zhizhen Zhang defeats Richard Gasquet 6-1 6-2 to notch up a maiden victory in Shanghai.#RolexShanghaiMasters | @SH_RolexMasters pic.twitter.com/g9kDtUFdZY

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 4, 2023

Zhang arrived in Shanghai this year a completely different prospect to his previous campaigns. He rose to a career-high No. 52 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, the highest position ever achieved by a Chinese player, in July and became the first player from his country to earn a Top 5 win by downing Casper Ruud at the US Open in late August.

Raised expectations, combined with the hype surrounding a new wave of Chinese stars that also includes Wu Yibing and #NextGenATP Shang Juncheng, could have impacted Zhang on Shanghai’s Stadium Court on Wednesday. Yet he struck 27 winners to Gasquet’s six and did not face a break point in a quickfire 55-minute victory.

“It is more pressure, because more people are following me and more people have eyes on me, but I’m happy like this,” said Zhang. “It’s better than no one seeing you… The fans are super great, as well as my friends and family, so I appreciate them coming [to support me].”

Zhang will now focus on a second-round clash against Tomas Martin Etcheverry. It will be a maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting between the Chinese and the 28th-seeded Argentine Etcheverry.

Roman Safiullin also enjoyed a straight-sets triumph on Wednesday, when the Chengdu finalist downed three-time Shanghai champion Andy Murray 6-3, 6-2.

Safiullin converted five of eight break points he earned to level his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Murray at 1-1. It was a first Masters 1000 match win on hard courts for the 26-year-old, who reached the third round as a qualifier on the clay of both Madrid and Rome earlier this season. Safiullin will take on Alexander Zverev next in a rematch of the Chengdu final from eight days ago.

American duo Mackenzie McDonald and Marcos Giron were also straight-sets winners at the Qizhong Tennis Center. McDonald improved to 17-8 in opening rounds for the year by beating Corentin Moutet 6-2, 6-3, while Giron marked his Shanghai debut with a 6-4, 6-2 triumph against Daniel Elahi Galan.

Jannik Sinner flipped the script in style on Wednesday at the China Open, where he earned victory against Daniil Medvedev for the first time in his seventh attempt to win his third title of the season.

The Italian entered his fifth championship match of the year trailing the 27-year-old 0-6 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series. Sinner looked unfazed by his previous record against the World No. 3, though, firing his trademark clean groundstrokes with power to outlast Medvedev 7-6(2), 7-6(2).

The 22-year-old was also strong on serve, winning 71 per cent (17/24) of his second-serve points to triumph after two hours at the ATP 500 event.

“Daniil, thanks for letting me win at least one match,” Sinner joked during the trophy ceremony. “We have had some very tough battles, especially this year. Thanks for making me a much better player. I have been training a lot to beat you. My team are working a lot. Thank you very much and it is special to share this moment with you.”

With his 49th tour-level win of the season, Sinner has jumped to No. 4 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings. The 22-year-old is just the second Italian to crack the Top 5, joining Adriano Panatta, who reached a career-high No. 4 in August 1976.

Sinner has also improved his Nitto ATP Finals hopes, consolidating fourth position in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin. The nine-time tour-level champ, who captured his maiden ATP Masters 1000 crown in Toronto in August, is aiming to qualify for the prestigious year-end event for the first time. He competed on home soil in Turin as an alternate in 2021.

In a high-quality final, Sinner showed belief from the first ball. The Italian was able to penetrate Medvedev’s defence with his attacking game, winning 19 of 29 net approaches. He was also impressive behind his second serve, outmanoeuvring the 27-year-old in the baseline duels. Sinner found his best level in both tie-breaks, locking in off both wings to improve to 9-3 in tour-level finals.

Medvedev was aiming to win his 21st title at as many events. The second seed has won a personal-best five trophies in 2023, highlighted by ATP Masters 1000 crowns in Miami and Rome. He will next head to Shanghai, where he is the second seed.

Did You Know?
Sinner is the third player to win a tour-level title this season by earning wins against the top two seeds. He beat World No. 2 and top seed Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals. Dusan Lajovic (Banja Luka) and Medvedev (Dubai) also achieved the feat.

Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek cinched their fifth tour-level title of the season together on Wednesday at the China Open where they moved past second seeds Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski 6-7(12), 6-3, 10-5 to ensure they remained first in the Pepperstone ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings.

The Croatian-American team recovered from losing an epic first set, in which they failed to convert five set points in the tie-break before falling behind. The top seeds refused to buckle, though, taking their only break point opportunity in the second set to level before advancing through a Match Tie-break, sealing victory after two hours and eight minutes.

Dodig and Krajicek’s win means they stay first in the Pepperstone ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings, 360 points ahead of Koolhof and Skupski, who would have moved to top spot with victory.

Dodig and Krajicek have now won five tour-level trophies in 2023, having also clinched titles at Roland Garros, Monte-Carlo, Rotterdam and The Queen’s Club. Wednesday’s triumph was the pair’s eighth as a team and fourth on hard courts overall. Dodig also won the crown in Beijing in 2019 with Filip Polasek.

Koolhof and Skupski were chasing their third trophy of the year. The Dutch-British team did not drop a set en route to the final.

More than eight years since their previous meeting, Dusan Lajovic and Stan Wawrinka reignited their Lexus ATP Head2Head rivalry Wednesday at the Rolex Shanghai Masters. It was Serbia’s Lajovic who rode a fast start to his maiden victory against the Swiss former World No. 3.

Lajovic prevailed 6-4, 7-6(7) on Shanghai’s Stadium Court to complete the set of winning a main-draw match at each of the nine ATP Masters 1000 events. The World No. 54 broke Wawrinka’s serve in the opening game en route to the first set and saved a set point in the second-set tie-break before wrapping a one-hour, 53-minute triumph.

Lajovic, who lifted his second ATP Tour title in April in Banja Luka, struck 16 winners and just seven unforced errors to outlast Wawrinka in a one-handed backhand battle to move to 1-2 in tour-level meetings against the Swiss. The Serbian has now won eight of his past nine matches against Top 50 opponents, and he will have the chance to improve that record further in the second round in Shanghai when he takes on 23rd seed Tallon Griekspoor.

Brandon Nakashima also booked an appointment with a seeded opponent in Shanghai. The American downed Bernabe Zapata Miralles 6-1, 7-6(3) and will take on third seed Holger Rune in the second round. The 2022 Next Gen ATP Finals champion Nakashima fired 21 winners, including nine aces, to seal his first Masters 1000 match win since March in Miami.