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Zhang Shuai and the future of Chinese tennis

Wednesday, 18th November 2009 ~ Maggie ~ Link ~ Comments (0)

This weekend, I attended the finals of the China Tennis Grand Prix in Nanjing. It was the culmination of a week-long event, which was actually the culmination of several months of tennis played at multiple levels in cities across China.

In its fourth year, and its second with Mercedes-Benz as title sponsor, this event is truly the training ground for the future stars of Chinese tennis—three, five, 10 years down the line. The program, put on by Beijing-based BIG International Group and the brainchild of its president, Tom McCarthy, integrates juniors programs, university programs and the Chinese national team's pros. BIG puts on competitions and clinics around China throughout the year, and for one week brings together three events under one roof: Swing for the Stars, the University Tennis Challenge and the professional tournament, the China Tennis Grand Prix Mercedes-Benz Cup.

Chilly temperatures in the unheated Nanjing Olympic Tennis Center aside, it's a well-produced event with some very good tennis on display from a country that's quietly emerging as an international force in the sport (on the women's side, that is).

For the Grand Prix, China's top women stepped out of the way, leaving the limelight and prize money for the second tier of players. Of China's tennis elite--Peng Shuai, Zheng Jie, Li Na and Yan Zi—only Zheng Jie competed in Nanjing, and she took an early exit from the doubles tournament.

After the tournament, I sat down with women's doubles champ Zhang Shuai,张帅 (her partner was Sun Shengnan), who earlier this year became the lowest ranked player (226) to beat a world No. 1 in a WTA main tour event, downing Dinara Safina at the China Open 7-5, 7-6. She then leapfrogged up to number 160 in the world. Zhang is 20 years old, and comes from Tianjin.

CST: You have had a good fall, with the win over Safina and now this doubles championship. What are your goals for next year?



CST: What aspects of your game will you try to improve?



CST: When did you start playing tennis?



CST: How is the situation for kids playing tennis today different from when you were younger?



As for her own future, Zhang said her first priority is to get some much-needed rest. Chinese players trying to break into the world's elite face the challenge of playing double seasons—the one everyone else plays, plus the China/Asia circuit, and competitions like the China National Games and Asian Games, which last into November. Taking stock of a successful fall, Zhang expressed appreciation for people who have helped her: "I'm very grateful for being granted the wild card to play in the China Open," she said. "Without the China Open, I don't think I would be playing as well as I am playing now. And I've had a lot of support from my family, my coach, other players and the national team."

Chinese tennis: Experimenting with development

When speculating about what sports have a bright future in China, tennis should definitely make the list. The success of China's female players over the past few years has helped draw attention to the sport, and some marginally important international tournaments take place here (China Open, Shanghai Masters). More than a few cities have facilities that, while not fit for holding major international events, certainly suffice for big domestic or regional competitions. In my travels in second- and third-tier cities, I've found public courts fairly common. And the typical hourly court fee of 15 to 30 yuan makes the barrier to entry a lot lower than it is for that other country club sport. Add to this the fact that tennis is a sport that doesn't require the raising of a team that can execute both creatively and cooperatively—something that's proven difficult for basketball and soccer teams here to do--and the fact that, as a racket sport, it is something that lots of Chinese can imagine themselves playing. And while it's easy to forget this, tennis is in the Olympics, which means it gets support at the national and provincial levels.

Like most sports in China, tennis has been both bolstered and hampered by a state sports system that puts a lot of resources into identifying and developing talent. Pointing toward a bright future for tennis in China is the fact that the sport's powers that be have been willing to experiment. Last year, the Chinese Tennis Association gave players the option of determining their own training schedules and keeping more of their winnings, in return for giving up some of the security of remaining within the state system. Four players (Peng Shuai, Zheng Jie, Li Na and Yan Zi) have taken advantage of this so far.

Last week's program—and the year-round events that surround it—also represents a departure from the establishment approach to sports in China. The participating youth players don't live in sports school dormitories, and most chose to play tennis (though certainly many were pushed into it by their parents). And while the Chinese Tennis Association featured prominently at the event, its bankrolling sponsors—Mercedes, Anta sportswear and Huatai Securities—were even more visible.

I expect to see similar developments in other sports in China--more freedom for athletes, increased participation, and a closer relationship with sponsors--though it could come more slowly than many would like. Corporate sponsorship is likely to play a big role in any sport's move beyond the strict confines of the state system, and tennis' experience with it will likely have a big impact on how soon and how freely other sports administrations move forward.

Related:
Li Na: overhaul of China's rigid sports model
Zhang knocks off world No. 1 at China Open
China to launch amateur tennis league next month
Mercedes hooking its star to tennis

Tags: Anta, BIG, Mercedes-Benz, Nanjing Olympic Sports Center, tennis, Tom McCarthy, Zhang Shuai

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