Shang Juncheng has not changed before the Jeddah bow: 'I am still the same happy child' | ATP Tour

Next Gen ATP Finals

Shang unchanged before Jeddah bow: 'I'm still the same happy kid'

He is the first Chinese player from his own country to compete in a youth show

December 17, 2024

Shang Juncheng's success helped fuel a tennis boom in China. The first player from his country to compete in the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, the 19-year-old is eager to be part of the growth of the game in Saudi Arabia.

“This event, they had many good players in the past and many good champions,” he said. “So I think coming here is really special, especially coming into Jeddah. Maybe a few years ago there weren't too many tennis matches, but now we have the WTA finals and the Next Gen Finals here, so I'm looking forward to it.”

Shang enters Jeddah as a member of the Top 50 in the PIF ATP Rankings, reaching a career high of No. 47 in October after winning his first tour-level title in Chengdu. He lost one set in that run at ATP 250 and beat Lorenzo Musetti in the final. Despite his rapid rise through the ranks — and his more than $1 million in prize money this season — Shang remains the same person as his game evolves.

“I think I'm still a happy kid,” he said. “I try to be happy on the field, I try to learn every day what I can do better that needs to be improved. I think it's just a little challenge every day to make me a better player.”

Shang posted a 5-3 record in Grand Slams this season (bowed out in qualifying at Roland Garros) and reached the second round of the draw in all four ATP Masters 1000s he competed in. Aside from his Chengdu title, he cited his performance in the majors as the highlight of the season and took particular pride in finishing the year without injury or illness.

Ironically, she had an eye problem at the start of the season, but still enjoyed a relaxing holiday in Dubai, full of shopping and beach time. In recent months, Shang has also started a gluten-free diet, part of an all-out effort to live a professional life.

Shang's parents are also major influences. His father, Yi, was a professional soccer player; his mother, Na, was a world-class table tennis player.

“I think the mindset is the same, that you go on the court, you try 100 percent,” he said of taking lessons from their athletic careers. “That's what they've always told me: You have to be a competitor, but at the same time you have to know your values ​​- that maybe sometimes winning is not the most important thing. The most you can enjoy is the competition and enjoy the people watching it I think at the end of the day [the people] those around you that are most important.”

While Shang and fellow Jeddah competitors continue to learn about life as professional tennis players, their experience at the Next Gen ATP Finals provides a rare opportunity to compete solely among peers.

“There are eight of us here, we know each other inside and out. We all grew up, we are the same age,” he said. “It's really important because on Tour you're playing older guys, not people your age. So coming here, I think it's kind of a pressure that I'm playing kids like me, my age.”