Breaking free from the embarrassment of losing all matches, Zhang Tianhui secures two consecutive victories, becoming the only Chinese player to advance from the Challenger qualifiers.

Many tennis fans are quite familiar with Zhang Tianhui. This post-2005 Chinese male tennis player has long been dubbed "the most handsome guy on the tennis court" due to his good looks and charm. However, don’t underestimate his skills because of that. Last season, when Zhang Tianhui suffered a five-match losing streak and faced widespread doubt, he bounced back with three straight wins at the Fuzhou Futures, reaching the semifinals of a Futures tournament for the first time in his career.

Afterwards, he successfully advanced through the qualifying rounds of the Hangzhou and Shenzhen Challengers. Moreover, Zhang Tianhui earned his first main-draw victory in a Challenger event at Shenzhen. Over the year, he improved his world ranking by over 600 spots, attracting significant attention from tennis fans. So, how has Zhang Tianhui been performing recently? Let this article take you on a closer look.

A few days ago, Zhang Tianhui, who has twice reached the finals of Futures tournaments, appeared in the qualifying rounds of the Shanghai Challenger. Notably, this was his first Challenger appearance in the 2025 season. However, in the first qualifying round, he faced Uzbekistan’s S. Fomin, who was ranked nearly 100 places higher. Zhang managed to win only two games in the whole match, and in the second set, he suffered a 0-6 "bagel," marking his first such defeat since competing in Challengers. After this heavy loss, many fans and media commentators expressed their opinions.

A few days ago, Zhang Tianhui entered the Guangzhou Challenger qualifiers as the sixth seed. Other Chinese players participating included Zhang Linghao, Liu Hanyi, Zeng Yaojie, Wang Aoran, Sun Qian, Chen Xingdao, and Mo Yecong. In the first qualifying round, Zhang Linghao, Wang Aoran, and Liu Hanyi were all swept out by their opponents.

Recently, Sun Qian, who performed well in the Futures, lost a tough three-set battle to American player Zhu Yulin and was eliminated with regret. Meanwhile, Zeng Yaojie was defeated in straight sets by Japan’s Kikuchi Yuta, ending his run. Mo Yecong won a compatriot derby, finally breaking the string of losses for Chinese male tennis players. Zhang Tianhui also won convincingly, and together with Mo Yecong, advanced to the final round of qualifying. Objectively speaking, these two players were just one step away from breaking through.

In the final qualifying round, Mo Yecong took the first set 6-4 against Swiss player L. Castelnuovo, gaining an early advantage. Unfortunately, Castelnuovo came back to win the next two sets and overturned the match to enter the Guangzhou Challenger main draw. Mo Yecong had to accept defeat and return home. This left Zhang Tianhui as the only remaining Chinese male player in the qualifying draw. So, how will he perform next?

In this round, Zhang Tianhui faced Thailand’s W. Trongcharoenchaikul. The match was intensely competitive, with the first set decided by a tiebreak. After winning the first set, Zhang also fought hard in the second, eventually prevailing 7-5 to secure the victory. He became the sole Chinese male player to advance from the Guangzhou Challenger qualifiers. What will Zhang Tianhui’s next performance be like? Let’s keep watching. That’s today’s tennis story; more to come tomorrow.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Yixin Jushi)