Ending a three-match losing streak! Shang Juncheng secures his seventh Grand Slam victory

The 2026 Australian Open is currently hosting the first round of singles. After China’s Bai Zhuoxuan narrowly defeated former French Open finalist Pavlyuchenkova 6-4, 2-6, 7-6(12-10) on the tournament’s first day, the post-2000 player Shang Juncheng today won his men’s singles first round match against the renowned Agut with a scoreline of 6-4, 6-7(2), 6-4, 6-0, advancing past the opening round at the Australian Open for the third time in his career.

Shang Juncheng’s first-round opponent is no pushover. Born in 1988, Agut once reached the men’s singles semifinals at Wimbledon, which remains his best Grand Slam result. Over his career, he has claimed 12 tour-level singles titles, with the highest tier being the ATP 500 Dubai title he won in 2018. Additionally, Agut reached the final of the 2016 Shanghai Masters, where he was defeated by Murray, missing out on his first Masters title.

However, in recent seasons, Agut has struggled with physical issues related to aging, leading to fewer standout performances in major tournaments. Last year, he exited in the first round of all four Grand Slams, with his most recent deep run in a Grand Slam being the fourth round at Wimbledon in 2024.

In this match against Chinese player Shang Juncheng, although Agut managed to take the second set in a tiebreak, he was ultimately defeated. Shang Juncheng earned the seventh win of his professional Grand Slam main draw career. His next opponent will be decided between Brandon Nakashima and Van de Zandschulp.

Currently, Zhang Zhizhen holds the record for the most Grand Slam main draw wins among Chinese male players, with 8 wins and 12 losses. However, he lost in the first round of this year’s Australian Open to the 18th seed Cerundolo with scores of 3-6, 6-7(0), 3-6. In that match, Zhang showed a lack of consistency on crucial points and his backhand was heavily pressured, resulting in a straight-sets defeat.

Besides Zhang Zhizhen, Shang Juncheng currently holds a 7-7 record in Grand Slam main draws. The young Chinese player has the potential to surpass Zhang Zhizhen at this Australian Open. Wu Yibing, who has not yet played in this year's main draw, ranks third with a 3-5 record.

Undoubtedly, whether it is Zhang Zhizhen, Shang Juncheng, Wu Yibing, or the upcoming Bu Yunchaokete, as long as these young players maintain good health, achieving more victories in Grand Slam tournaments is only a matter of time. Most of them have just recovered from injuries and are regaining their form in high-level events like Grand Slams.

We look forward to the Chinese men’s tennis scene bringing more surprises to fans, just like the women’s side, and hope that Chinese players can advance to deeper rounds in this Australian Open!(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Barbie)