Zhang Shuai: Taking a Rational View of the Australian Open’s Outlook, Many Dreams Still Await Fulfillment

On January 17th Beijing time, Zhang Shuai was interviewed a day before the Australian Open started. She spoke pragmatically about the tournament’s outlook and expressed that there are still many objectives she wants to accomplish in her professional career.

Zhang Shuai showed strong performances in both Australian Open warm-up tournaments this year, first qualifying into the singles last 32 in Brisbane, then capturing the women’s doubles championship in Adelaide this week. Regarding her prospects at the Australian Open, Zhang said, “It’s actually okay. I’ve been competing for so many years, playing tournaments every week. Sometimes last week’s results don’t predict how the next week will go. I can only focus on giving my best in each match and concentrate on daily training.”

Reflecting on her “hardworking participation” last year trying to qualify for the Australian Open main draw, Zhang said, “My ranking reached 102. Actually, players ranked around 95, 96 to 100 or even 110 were all competing, everyone was fighting hard for main draw spots. No one would skip playing when it’s so close. I actually treated that tournament as a qualifying event. I played two tournaments in Japan, then my ranking rose to the 90s. I considered taking a break, but Coach Liu encouraged me to keep playing.” After a busy December of competition, Zhang had little time left for winter training: “I had about ten days back in Beijing, but didn’t train much because I had to handle many visa applications for different countries.”

It has been exactly ten years since Zhang Shuai won her first Grand Slam main draw match at the Australian Open and reached the quarterfinals. She reflected deeply on this milestone: “It’s truly incredible. I’ve been on the tour for ten years, and it’s been a high-quality decade. Everyone’s peak period might only last two or three years. Of course, some stay longer, but not as long as me. Muguruza, Halep, Garcia — many of them are much younger than me and have already retired. I’m still here, and I’ve managed to return to the top 100 in singles. I’m very proud of all my efforts.”

Looking ahead, Zhang admitted she still has many dreams to fulfill: “This is the main reason I haven’t chosen to retire. After going through physical and mental limits over the past two to three years, I’ve adjusted and am experiencing a resurgence. I believe I will continue to improve and get closer to my goals.” When asked if she aims to win another Grand Slam title, Zhang responded, “I think that’s definitely something I must achieve.”

Speaking about her first-round opponent at the Australian Open, Preston, the two had met in the second round of Brisbane’s qualifying this year. Zhang commented, “We had a very intense and exciting match in Brisbane. She was coached by Barty’s coach at the time. We both admired her, thinking it’s amazing how well she plays at such a young age. Barty’s coach was amazed too, wondering how she could perform so well at her age.”

Regarding winning and losing, Zhang emphasized that gaining experience and growth are more important: “Through every match and partnering with different doubles teammates, including facing various opponents, we learn from each other. Since we compete every week, we don’t focus too much on wins or losses because no one can win every tournament.”

(Editor: Wang Fei, Photo: Huang Shangyue)