This is the last warrior of the Chinese empire

Fernando Murciego | 25 Sep 2024 | 22.30

Bu Yunchaokete makes debut in the top 100 worldwide. Source: Getty

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It is no coincidence that the Asian tour arrives and some of its players step up. This was evident from the very beginning: Juncheng Shang's title in Chengdu, Zhizhen Zhang's final in Hangzhou, and Bu Yunchaokete's semifinals in the same tournament. We are facing the trio representing China within the top 100 currently. However, today we will focus a bit more on the latter, the man who made his debut among the top 100 this Monday, in recognition of a season marked by hard work, confidence, and evolution.

If you start the season ranked #171 in the world and by September you are #96, then it means you are doing things very well. Our protagonist is a clear example, the man with the most victories of the year on the Challenger circuit. His titles in Wuxi and Granby, or his finals in Gwangju and Chicago, ultimately propelled him into a new reality, a state of confidence that led him to debut at a Grand Slam in this past US Open or reach the semifinals for the first time in an ATP tournament, defeating competitors like Gaston, Khachanov, or Kukushkin in Hangzhou. It's no surprise that upon his arrival at the ATP 500 in Beijing, the organizers adjusted the schedule to include him in the Media Day.

"It's hard to explain, lately many things have been on my mind, but I don't want to say them out loud, I just repeat them to myself over and over. I do it in every match, I try to believe in myself, so I hope to perform better in the future. My goal is to improve every day," shared the player from Xinjiang while assimilating his recent results, the perfect ending to a calendar year where his growth has been unstoppable. Coached by Ricardo Ojeda, who decided to retire in 2020 after reaching the top 200, Yunchaokete's future looks promising, filled with optimism for what lies ahead.

"This step allows me to enjoy tennis much more, without so much pressure, without any mental burden. I'm starting to truly enjoy it, to showcase my game more, it frees me from thinking about rankings or specific goals," he proudly states after embracing his highest professional ranking. "I need to learn to enjoy it even more, to consolidate my position within the top 100, we'll see how things go after Shanghai because I am defending some points. Now I'm among the top 100, I don't feel as much pressure, so I will enjoy every match."

POTENTIAL TO KEEP CLIMBING

Fate has it that in the first round of Beijing, Juncheng Shang and Bu Yunchaokete will face each other, a stroke of bad luck for the audience who will witness a local player dropping out right at the start. Coming off their best tournament of the season, it will be interesting to see what emerges from the clash between two players running on high speed. Regarding Bu, who will turn 23 next January, it's clear that his growth has been caused by multiple factors, although one of them has been seeing so many compatriots gather at the elite level, paving a path that has taken many years for the Chinese to draw.

"This kind of thing gives you more confidence in yourself, in the whole team. You have to be brave enough to dream and pursue your great ambitions. If no one had ever achieved it, it would be harder to believe you can do it. If no one had done it, it would be easier to doubt your chances, but still, you have to pursue it. Now this kind of impact is mutual among us, which is very positive for the whole group, a young generation with a more ambitious mindset than the previous one. It's a great step for China, for the tennis industry in general," affirms Bu, who is already his country's third best player.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Bu, el último guerrero del imperio chino