As Chinese tennis players continue to shine on the international arena, a tennis fever is griping the country's young generations, with many encouraged to take up the sport and pursue professional careers.
Teenagers are packing into a tennis training center in Beijing. The coach told China Central Television (CCTV) that all their lessons scheduled for the day have been booked, attributing the surge in business to the popularity of international sport events.
"Since Zheng Qinwen's victory in August, the number of people coming to learn tennis has increased by about 40 percent compared to last year. To meet the demand, we've opened another two campuses and hired over ten new coaches," said Zhang Hao, a coach at the training center.
Zheng, 21, seized a historic gold at the Paris Olympic Games this summer, giving a strong impetus to the domestic tennis market. Now the 2024 China Open tennis tournament is underway in Beijing, igniting a new wave of enthusiasm for the sport.
"It used to be possible to book a class on the same day, but now I need to make an appointment two or three days in advance for a small-group lesson. It's clear that more and more people want to learn tennis," said an enthusiast.
Sixteen-year-old Deng Peien is already among China's elite tennis players, who has gained nearly 140,000 followers on social media by sharing tennis skills. She told the CCTV that there are more people learning to play tennis now, and many young players are dreaming of a professional career in the sport.
Another rising star is 16-year-old Kong Weiyi, who's one of the sparring partners for Zheng during the China Open. He also participated in the China Open Junior competitions where he had the opportunity to interact with professional players.
"I feel great today. I've practiced well. I will learn from [professional players] about how to prepare for matches and maintain a positive attitude in training," Kong said after sweating it out on the court
Starting practicing tennis at the age of six, Kong won the ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors men's singles champion in March. Kong said he believes that becoming an elite professional player requires more than just talent, stressing the need of systematic training.
"[A professional team] usually includes one to two tennis coaches, along with experts in physical fitness, nutrition, rehabilitation, and massage therapy. While a gift is important at the beginning, over 95 percent of success comes from hard work later on," Kong said.
Tennis fever grips young Chinese following domestic players' high-profile wins
