Shang Juncheng was born on February 2, 2005 in Beijing, his father is Shang Yi, a midfielder who has been selected for the Chinese men's national football team, and his mother is Wu Na, who won the mixed doubles event at the 1997 World Table Tennis Championships. With the blessing of good sports genes, Shang Juncheng, who started to play tennis at the age of 5, quickly showed his talent, and at the age of 10, he was able to win the national under-12 competition.

At the age of 11, in order to seek more scientific and systematic tennis training, Shang Juncheng went to the Sanchez Tennis School in United States accompanied by his family. Then, at the age of 14, he "transferred" to the prestigious IMG Tennis Academy, where he trained with many of the world's most famous stars. Shang Juncheng, who is like a sponge frantically absorbing tennis nutrients, continues to make progress in all aspects, and is steadily moving towards the tennis dream in his heart.

(Photo: Li Jianyi)

After entering the international arena, Shang Juncheng first made a name for himself in junior competitions. In 2019, he became the first of his peers to win an ITF Junior Tour title. In 2021, he even topped the junior world No. 1 and reached the US Open junior men's singles final, which can be described as a well-deserved "talented boy".

In the same year that Shang Juncheng was successful in the junior game, he also made his professional debut. In March 2021, Shang Juncheng received a valuable Miami Masters qualifying wild card against United Kingdom's Brody in the first round. Although he lost in the final three sets, Shang Juncheng's performance in this game was remarkable, which made people see the infinite possibilities contained in him.

(Photo: Li Jianyi)

In 2022, Shang Juncheng fully embraced the identity of a professional tennis player. This year he broke through from the Indian Wells Masters qualifying tournament with a wild card, becoming the first male player from Chinese mainland to qualify for the main tournament of the Masters, and the youngest player to do so since Nadal in Hamburg in 2003. In addition, Shang Juncheng also achieved remarkable results in the challenge competition. In August, he reached back-to-back finals in Lexington and Granby, winning one title and one runner-up. Shang Juncheng ranked in the TOP200 at the end of 2022, which can be said to be quite impressive for a 17-year-old.

Heading into the 2023 season, Shang Juncheng's performance has reached the next level, and he has begun to leave his mark in the halls of Grand Slam. At the Australian Open at the beginning of the year, he made a splash, broke into the main draw after three consecutive hurdles, and defeated Germany's good player Ott in four sets in the first round of the main draw, achieving the first major victory in his career, and also achieving a "zero breakthrough" for Chinese mainland men's tennis in the Australian Open singles main event. Then, he passed the qualifying round and entered the men's singles main draw of the French Open for the first time.

(Photo: Li Jianyi)

Getting rid of the problem of poor physical condition in the middle of the season, Shang Juncheng gradually recovered in the second half of the season. Arriving on the North American hard court season, he emerged from the first round of Wimbledon qualifying and reached the semi-finals at the Chicago Challenger. He then reached the round of 16 as a qualifier at ATP 250 Atlanta and ATP 500 Washington, D.C. At the U.S. Open, which kicks off at the end of August, Shang Juncheng will launch a strong attack on his third Grand Slam main draw trip.

Shang Juncheng, who is not yet 19 years old, has added to his resume such impressive results as a Challenger title, a round of 16 on tour and a first win in a Grand Slam main event, making him one of the best players in his age group. At the same time, he followed closely behind Zhang Zhizhen and Wu Yixuan, the two "big brothers", and grew into the youngest of the "troika" of Chinese men's tennis. There is every reason to believe that this left-handed tennis prodigy, who plays with tension and spirit, has a chance to add more glory and glory to his future career.

The choice of the Zhuhai Tennis Championship as the first professional tournament to meet Chinese fans fully demonstrates Shang Juncheng's anticipation and love for the city and this event. Playing in front of the home fans is believed to bring full motivation to Shang Juncheng and give a wonderful performance to the local audience. This energetic and sunny young star will undoubtedly convey the joy and strength of tennis to Zhuhai, a livable city of youth and vitality. In this September, let's meet at the Hengqin International Tennis Center and cheer for this "wind-chasing boy" at home!