After an Injury-Hit Year, Chinese Men’s Tennis Looks to Restart

Recent wins by Wu Yibing and Shang Juncheng in Hong Kong, alongside Zhang Zhizhen’s United Cup success, offer early signs of renewed momentum.

Shang Juncheng (aka Jerry shang) was back happy and healthy at a recent exhibition event in Macau (credit: MGM Macau Tennis Masters)

The 2025 season was one to forget for Chinese men's tennis. The disappointment was sharpened by what had come before: a 2023 season in which Wu Yibing became the first Chinese player to win an ATP title, followed by an excellent 2024 that saw Shang Juncheng claim his first ATP crown at just 19 and Zhang Zhizhen reach the highest singles ranking ever achieved by a Chinese man.

Instead of building on that momentum, all three were sidelined by injuries that kept them away from the tour for much of last year. For Wu Yibing, the frustration of that interruption was not just physical, but psychological. After breaking new ground for Chinese men’s tennis with his ATP title in 2023, injuries forced him into prolonged periods away from competition, watching from the sidelines as others continued on tour.

“Sitting on the couch while other players are competing and you’re just practising every day... that was tough,” Wu said when we spoke at the MGM Macau Tennis Masters in December. “Now I take much more care of my body. I’ve introduced a nutritionist and started focusing on the details. This is the way I’m working towards a healthy body.”

Wu Yibing speaking to Tennis Asia Media at the MGM Macau Tennis Masters in December

A similar situation played out for Shang, whose 2025 season was also disrupted by injury. After a decent start to the year, the 20-year-old – who trains with Wu from time-to-time at IMG Academy in Florida – was forced to undergo surgery on his foot, sidelining him for an extended period.

“2025 was a lot of ups and downs,” Shang said when speaking in Macau. “I started the year well, then found out I needed surgery. It was quick news, and I took it.”

For Shang, the time away from competition also brought a shift in priorities. Rather than focusing on technical changes, the emphasis heading into this year has been on staying healthy long enough to build rhythm – something he believes was missing during an injury-hit 2025.

“The tennis level is there. I know what I’m capable of,” Shang said. “But every player’s nightmare is staying healthy. If you can play happy, play without pain and without injuries, you give yourself a chance every week.”

Early signs of that reset have already begun to emerge. Wu’s recent 6-4, 6-2 win over Fabian Marozsan in Hong Kong, coupled with Shang’s own 6-4, 6-4 win over Francisco Comesana at the same event, has been reinforced by Zhang's strong showing in China's recent United Cup win over Belgium, where he picked up a notable comeback win over Zizou Bergs. After limited match play last season, all three are now active again and beginning to rebuild momentum.

After many years in which Chinese men’s tennis lacked depth at the top, the presence of multiple players capable of competing at tour level has changed both expectations and belief. Those raised expectations in his home country are something that Wu embraces.

"I don’t see it as pressure. I see it as motivation,” Wu said in Macau. “I’m really happy that now in our country we have multiple good players. Back then we had no one to look up to. Now it’s very good for the next generation to see that we can do a good job on tour and really believe that they can be part of it.”

After a year defined more by recovery than results, Chinese men’s tennis is building towards its next breakthrough, with the focus firmly on staying on court long enough to let results take care of themselves.