China's rising star Shang eyeing breakthrough at Australian Open

BEIJING, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- China men's singles prospect Shang Juncheng said on Saturday that he hopes to achieve good results at the upcoming Australian Open.

Last year, Shang joined Zhang Zhizhen and Wu Yibing in the main draw of the Australian Open, which marked the first time in the Open era that three male players from the Chinese mainland have contested a Grand Slam singles main draw. However, Shang failed to continue his in-form play later in the season due to illness and a lack of physical endurance.

But the 18-year-old started strongly in 2024, as he cruised past three top-50 players at the Hong Kong Open and reached the semifinals of the ATP tour-level tournaments for the first time in his career, arousing high expectations towards his performance in the new season.

Shang attributed the positive changes to adjustments in his diet and training approaches.

"During the Chinese swing, my physical condition wasn't very good. I caught the flu in the first week of this season. So I strictly adjusted my dietary habits and focused my training on aerobic exercises and running, which is suitable for me," he said.

Shang's game mindset has also grown more mature and relaxed. "In the Hong Kong Open, I played relatively relaxed, giving my all on every point, but I just treated the game more like playing on the court, rather than place too much emphasis on win or loss," Shang explained.

At the Australian Open which opens on Sunday, Shang will face Mackenzie McDonald of the United States in the first round. Shang lost his only previous match against McDonald in last year's Zhuhai Championships.

"My physical condition wasn't good at the Zhuhai tournament, but we had a high-quality match at that time. I will watch more videos of his match and adjust my tactics. I'm in a good form right now, and I'm looking forward to playing out my best game," Shang concluded.