Let’s talk about some lesser-known stories from the tennis world—Wu Yibing has achieved five major career breakthroughs at the US Open.

Wu Yibing is a well-known name among Chinese male tennis players. He has set multiple records for Chinese men’s tennis across junior Grand Slams, major tournaments, ATP tours, and Challenger events. Yet, not many know that most of his major career achievements were made at the US Open. What’s the reason behind this? Let’s explore together in this article.

In the first round of the 2017 US Open Junior event, Wu Yibing, seeded second, easily defeated French player Adide to advance. In the second round, he delivered two bagels, sweeping Dutch qualifier J de Jong to reach the last sixteen. In the third round, Wu Yibing won in straight sets against Swiss qualifier J Paul to move forward.

During the quarterfinals, after dropping the first set, he rallied to win the next two and overturned American player Crawford to reach the semifinals. In the semis, again coming from behind, he defeated Finnish player Ruusuvuori in three sets. In the final, Wu Yibing convincingly beat the top seed Geller, claiming his first junior Grand Slam singles title. This was also the first time a Chinese male player won a junior Grand Slam event, marking Wu Yibing’s first career breakthrough at the US Open.

Wu Yibing also found success in doubles. In the 2017 US Open Junior doubles competition, he teamed up with Taiwan’s Hsu Yu-Hsiou, notching five consecutive wins. Thanks to this winning streak, Wu Yibing clinched the 2017 US Open Junior doubles title—his second career breakthrough at the US Open.

In 2022, after capturing three Challenger titles, Wu Yibing earned a spot in the US Open qualifying rounds. Returning to Flushing Meadows after five years, he exuded confidence. In the first round of qualifying, he defeated Lithuanian player Berankis, who had twice reached ATP finals, marking his first career victory in a Grand Slam qualifying match.

In the second qualifying round, after losing the first set, Wu Yibing fought back to win the next two against Italian player Travaglia, putting him one step away from the main draw. In the final round of qualifying, Wu Yibing won in straight sets over Frenchman Moutet, becoming the first Chinese male player to advance from the US Open qualifiers to the main draw—a third career breakthrough at the US Open.

In the first round of the main draw, Wu Yibing faced Georgia’s Basilashvili, a player who had reached the second week of a Grand Slam, made a Masters final, and won the China Open. Wu Yibing performed brilliantly, delivering a bagel and breaking the winless streak of Chinese men in Grand Slam main draws. This victory was also his first over a top 50 ATP player, marking his fourth career breakthrough at the US Open.

After a dominant win in the first round, Wu Yibing’s next opponent was Portugal’s Borges, who, like Wu, had qualified and claimed his first Grand Slam main draw win. In their five-set battle, Wu Yibing emerged victorious, becoming the first Chinese male player to reach the last 32 of a Grand Slam—his fifth career breakthrough at the US Open.

Although he was defeated in the third round by former US Open champion Daniil Medvedev of Russia, Wu Yibing continued to make history for himself and Chinese men’s tennis at the US Open. Last night, Wu Yibing scored a convincing win over Argentine Ficovich in the first round of US Open qualifying, maintaining his winning momentum at Flushing Meadows. What will his results be this time? Let’s wait and see. That’s all for today’s tennis story—stay tuned for more tomorrow.(Source: Tennis Home; Author: Yixin Jushi)