Sounds_ Zhang Shuai: Satisfied with Singles Performance, Honored to Participate in Olympics

On July 1st local time, Chinese tennis player Zhang Shuai fell in the first round of Wimbledon Women’s Singles, losing 3-6/0-6 to the tournament’s 14th seed, Kasatkina, and missed out on advancing.

Kasatkina, who had just won the WTA Eastbourne title the previous week, was in top form, but in today’s match, it was Zhang who secured the early break. “I think I played very well because I haven’t played singles for a while. I brought out one of my better performances. When I was playing well in previous years, that’s about the level I reached. But sometimes winning or losing also depends on whom you face or their form at that particular time, which is crucial.”

Zhang was content with her performance in the women’s singles event, which marked her first Grand Slam singles appearance in a year. “In the coming period, I can be more confident and play more singles, especially as there will be many hard court tournaments, including returning to Asia and back home. I hope to have more singles matches to rediscover myself.” Zhang entered Wimbledon through a protected ranking, and she mentioned having eight total opportunities to compete using this ranking, including at the US Open.

Regarding her inclusion in the Olympic roster, Zhang expressed deep honor. “It’s a great privilege to be selected. The last Tokyo Olympics left a big regret because everyone has an Olympic dream, regardless of the results. Just being part of the Olympics is a dream for many. Representing your country is entirely different from individual events; there’s a sense of mission involved.”

Zhang has never paired with Yuan Ye in women’s doubles, but they plan to team up and train after Wimbledon. “We hope to showcase our best and demonstrate our fighting spirit. Current players are strong, skilled, and highly competitive. We aim to learn from them and make steady progress toward our goals.”

Explaining her decision not to compete in the Olympics’ singles event, Zhang said, “Each country has four spots in the singles, and if our list isn’t full, I have no issues. I’ve played at least ten times in every Grand Slam on all types of surfaces, so I’m not afraid of any surface. However, we have many young players who perform exceptionally well and meet the qualification criteria. From both a personal and national perspective, it’s essential to provide these young players with more opportunities because they are the future of our country’s tennis.”

(Translation & Editing: Dato, Interview & Photography: Felix)