Wang Xinyu: Tennis is not everything in life; as long as you persist, victory will naturally follow.

On January 22nd Beijing time, Chinese player Wang Xinyu played an intense and fluctuating tennis match in Melbourne. Even when she was down 2-4 in the second set and lost her serve at match point in the final set, she battled back steadily and eventually overcame Ostapenko, making her debut in the Australian Open last 32. After the match, she talked about her experience during the game and her mental journey for this season.

Aggressive play was a term Wang Xinyu mentioned repeatedly. “When she gets into her rhythm, she’s really tough to beat; she plays very aggressively. But I’m glad I held on during some crucial moments. Winning such a match has given me great confidence.” When asked how she came back from being down in the second set, Wang showed her usual relaxed humor: “She broke early in the second set, and we both broke each other’s serves several times. I didn’t feel too upset because neither of us could hold serve. When she played fiercely, I just thought about returning one more shot and waiting for my chance to take control.”

At the start of the new year, Wang Xinyu reached the singles final in Auckland, and now she has made it to the Australian Open round of 32 for the first time. Wang admitted that she and her team work hard every day, “During the season, there are always continuous matches, but in the preseason, I can focus more on improving my skills.”

More importantly, Wang believes that tennis is no longer her entire life. “Besides tennis, I want to explore and learn more about other areas, like nutrition and mental health. If I spend 24 hours a day solely on tennis, it makes me anxious and fearful about not performing up to the level I’ve built.”

Speaking about her next opponent Noskova, whom she faced once last year in Prague, Wang recalled how her opponent’s fast pace left a strong impression: “Sometimes I hadn’t even finished my serve motion before her return was back. This court is very fast, which I think favors her, but if I could hold on through such a tough match today, I should be more confident next time.”

(Written and edited by: Sunny)