Yuan Yue: Gave her all and feels proud of herself

On January 19th Beijing time, Chinese tennis star Yuan Yue, who qualified through the preliminary rounds, played her first-round main draw match at Rod Laver Arena. Opposite her across the net was the tournament’s No. 2 seed, Swiatek, a six-time Grand Slam champion aiming to complete the “Career Grand Slam” at this Australian Open.

Yuan Yue attending the press conference (Photo: Huang Shangyue)

When Yuan Yue learned her first-round opponent would be Swiatek, she didn’t show much emotion: “I came through qualifying, so 99% of the time my opponent will be ranked higher than me. But I also think it’s great to face her. The draw is something you can’t control; you just have to do your best. I think I played well in this match. Plus, there won’t be any tougher opponents than her later on, so it’s pretty good.”

In this match, Yuan Yue took the initiative in the first set and even had a chance to serve for the set, but Swiatek dragged the match into a tiebreak and turned things around, eventually winning 7-6(5), 6-3. “For me, today was a high-intensity battle, and I’m proud of my performance. This was much better than the last time I played her—I got some opportunities. I feel like I gave it my all.”

“I remember last time I was a bit nervous because she’s a superstar, and playing her isn’t easy. But today, I prepared a lot before the match and worked hard to boost my confidence.” Last year at the China Open, Yuan Yue faced Swiatek for the first time, winning only three games. “I tried to treat her like a regular player and keep my usual style. Also, playing here at Rod Laver Arena today was very enjoyable; this experience is a beautiful memory for me.”

Although she didn’t win, this Australian Open trip has given Yuan Yue great confidence: “First, I passed three rounds of qualifying, which shows my progress. I played many consistent matches and won the ones I believed I should. Today I faced one of the best players in the world, and in a Grand Slam, my draw couldn’t be tougher. So I think there won’t be any harder challenges ahead, and I’m ready for more tests.”

When asked if she felt regret about meeting such a strong opponent early despite being in good form, Yuan Yue said: “If I hadn’t drawn this kind of opponent, I don’t think I would have played so well or shown such great tennis. This also made me believe I have this ability. So sometimes you have to look at the bright side and be thankful that your opponent keeps applying pressure, making you realize how you need to play.”

“I think I did everything I was supposed to today. She indeed showed the level and skills expected of the world No. 2 on some crucial points and in certain aspects, so I’m quite happy. I achieved the goals I set before the match.”

Yuan Yue

Regarding recent social media talk about her cheeks looking slimmer, she responded: “People are exaggerating. Of course, I trained my fitness during winter training; otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to maintain stable performance in such a high-intensity two-set match today. I think my overall performance today was pretty good, and that’s closely related to my fitness. But the idea that my cheeks are sunken is a bit over the top—maybe it’s just how the dynamic photos look when I’m playing. My weight hasn’t really changed; I haven’t gotten thinner.”

Talking about Swiatek, Yuan Yue said: “Her second serve has a high bounce, so I either stand very close to the baseline or far behind. I specifically practiced returning second serves these days because if I stand too far back, she keeps running me around, and it seems like there’s not much chance. I think my serve and forehand have improved a lot this time. Today I took the initiative to attack, and my success rate was quite high.”

“Her backhand and movement are indeed very strong and agile. But everyone is human, and we’re all women. She’s really strong, but I didn’t get here by accident or because someone randomly gave me a wildcard to the main draw. I earned my spot by myself. Being able to stand opposite her proves I have the ability to compete with her. I don’t think we should overestimate others.”

(Written and edited by: Dato)