The Odyssey of Bu Yunchaokete in New York: Changing a Flight at the Last Minute to Secure His Greatest Victory

Yesterday was a day for all eyes to be on Rafa Jódar and his first big disappointment on the professional circuit. The Madrid native fell in his debut at the US Open 2026 against an unexpected opponent like Bu Yunchaokete. Where did this player come from? Pay attention to the story he revealed afterward to the press because it's worth hearing.

A lucky loser with nothing to lose

“I think you just have to focus and enjoy. You know, there’s nothing you can lose being a lucky loser, and I just tried to concentrate. For the last few days, I didn’t even know I had to play today. So I really enjoyed the crowd, I enjoyed the court and playing against one of the best players of this year. I’m very happy with my performance and I really enjoyed it. I’m very glad to have done it.”

Bu Yunchaokete points to the key of his victory over Jódar

“Of course, he’s doing a great job and he’s a young player with a lot of history behind him. I’ve seen many things about him on websites, Instagram, or wherever. Everyone knows how well he can play and what his level is. For me, there was simply nothing to lose, so I played freely, and that was very good for me. Being a lucky loser means you have nothing to lose. I didn’t even know I could play today; besides, it was the last day of the first round, and I was about five spots outside of the rankings, so I was a bit far off. I didn’t think I could play, but I’m happy I was able to do so.”

The backstory of his entry into the draw as a lucky loser

“I had a flight scheduled for Wednesday night, but I arrived yesterday and, of course, I had to change the flight because I needed to play and had to play today. Actually, I was finishing my morning warm-up, sitting down eating with my coach, and we said: ‘Okay, let’s start the day and see what happens.’ Then they came to tell me that I could play, and I said: ‘Wow, this is great.’ I had nothing to complain about. I had even already waited two days, so I just went for it. I found out yesterday, around 11:30 or 12:00, when I was at the restaurant.”

First victory in a Grand Slam

“I feel great. I mean, getting my first victory against a player like the number 13 in the world is obviously a very, very good feeling for me. If I had to win my first match like this, I’m fine with losing five or six times before. So yes, it’s great. When the match started, he was very strong and I felt the level and tension were very high. I just tried to focus on my job and play my tennis, do what I could do, and test him all over, with my slice, with my return, pushing him back. And it really worked for me.”

Spanish style with British influence, defining Yunchaokete's style

“My idol is Andy Murray. I like to play like him too. I trained for a few years in Spain, so my game has a Spanish style, you know, playing very heavy, with a lot of topspin. In these last few years, I’ve tried to change a bit because I felt I needed to improve some things to rise in the rankings and reach a higher level. Now I try to play more aggressively. I think I have a good serve and from the back I can defend, I can run, and I can also come to the net.”

Getting into the top 100, his greatest fulfilled dream

“Getting into the top 100, without a doubt. That was my goal when I was young because in our country, we didn’t have players inside the top 100. We broke that barrier maybe three or four years ago. When I was young, the people around me and all the players were simply looking to enter the top 100. Now we have four players who have achieved it in these two or three years, so of course now we have a new goal. But getting into the top 100 has been my main goal since I was a junior and started as a professional player.”

The influence of Li Na on his career

“Of course, it was important. She was the first Chinese Grand Slam champion, and I think when we were young, probably when she won the Grand Slam, I was about ten years old, more or less. I’m not sure what year it was. Everyone wanted to be like her, also on the men’s side, but we didn’t have players in the top 100, so it was a bit different. We have many great players in women’s tennis, but not so many in men’s.”

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, La odisea de Bu Yunchaokete en Nueva York: cambiar un vuelo a última hora para firmar su mejor victoria