Shang Juncheng’s secret: Less complaining, more winning | ATP Tour

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Shang’s secret: Much less complaining, extra profitable

ATPTour.com speaks to the #NextGenATP star about his mindset

August 27, 2024

Much less complaining, extra profitable. That has been the motto currently for #NextGenATP star Shang Juncheng and it has confirmed a lot profitable.

The Chinese language 19-year-old ticked off his newest first on Monday when he earned his maiden US Open win in opposition to twenty seventh seed Alexander Bublik 6-4, 3-6, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 in three hours and 34 minutes. Shang has now reached the second spherical of each main essential draw (additionally the Australian Open and Wimbledon) he has performed this season.

“Very completely happy and drained. Very drained. Attention-grabbing match in opposition to Alex. He has every little thing, he throws something at you, some second-serve bombs, additionally drop photographs, underarm serves, something,” Shang mentioned. “You actually need to focus the entire match, and I am glad I did all the way in which ‘til the tip. It was only a good win, and hopefully I can proceed.”

It has been the very best season of Shang’s younger profession. The teenager is at the moment third within the PIF ATP Stay Race To Jeddah, placing him in good place to qualify for the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF for the primary time.

Outcomes that stand out embrace his first two ATP Tour semi-finals in Hong Kong and Atlanta, a visit to the third spherical of the Australian Open and a quarter-final in Eastbourne. Getting into 2024 he had not reached a tour-level quarter-final.

“I believe mentally, I am a distinct particular person, additionally bodily,” Shang mentioned. “Not too many issues have modified.”

The Chinese language star has performed extra aggressively and improved his serve. He even defined that he’s nonetheless rising height-wise. However the massive distinction has been in his thoughts.

“Till Eastbourne this yr, if I bear in mind precisely, I used to be complaining a lot in regards to the grass that I had no thought tips on how to transfer on it, and each two steps I might slip. And so me and my mother and father and in addition my coach, we made a deal,” Shang mentioned. “No complaining in the course of the match, after which we’ll depend it as one match. Everytime you get to 50 matches, that is when you might have one other breakthrough.

“Proper now we’re counting, I believe, to 16 matches. At this time I used to be complaining a bit within the second and third, however gladly, within the fourth and fifth, I introduced all of it again collectively and had the main focus once more.”

It’s a work in progress, similar to every little thing in a tennis participant’s recreation. And in some ways, it’s pure to have dialogue along with your group throughout a match.

“Should you’re actually anxious, or if you happen to’re actually mad at one thing and nothing is working, clearly very first thing is you go to your group and ask them, ‘What’s going on?’ And the reality is that they did nothing unsuitable,” Shang mentioned. “You are on the market by your self, and you are making the errors. So for me, it is higher to simply overlook in regards to the mistake. It would not matter how massive it’s, [you have to] simply hold shifting ahead, as a result of what you are able to do is deal with the subsequent level and cease fascinated by the previous.”

Shang is the second-youngest participant within the Prime 100 of the PIF ATP Stay Rankings at World No. 67. This time final yr, the teenager needed to undergo qualifying on the US Open and misplaced within the closing spherical.

That match, in opposition to Otto Virtanen, was a three-setter that lasted two hours and one minute. “I ran out of fuel fairly dangerous,” Shang recalled, cracking a smile. The lefty charged by means of 5 units in almost double the time on Monday.

Getting into the season, Shang owned 4 tour-level wins. He has claimed 18 this marketing campaign alone and is raring to push for extra, beginning along with his second-round encounter with Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena.

However the teen is remaining level-headed. Win or lose, there’s much less complaining and extra of a deal with staying within the second. That features not dwelling an excessive amount of on his success.

“Every time I win or I do one thing dangerous, I attempt to overlook about it, as a result of if you happen to’re all the time staying prior to now, I really feel like you’ll be able to’t actually benefit from the current,” Shang mentioned. “I take days off. Generally I do not need to practise, similar to a standard man. I strive not to consider an excessive amount of of the opposite issues that occurred earlier than, simply specializing in the current and what is going on to occur sooner or later as effectively.”