Mumbai: Ling Zhang takes no time to recall who may need began the Asian revolution within the sport.
Alexandra Eala of Philippines the newest Asian to create a stir in tennis world. (Getty Pictures through AFP)
“Li Na, when she won the French Open (2011) and Australian Open (2014),” Hong Kong’s Billie Jean King Cup captain informed HT on the promenade exterior the Balewadi Tennis Stadium in Pune. Zhang was in India final week for the Asia/Oceania Group 1 stage of girls’s tennis’ premier group occasion.
“For us, she is like an elder sister. For her winning the Grand Slam actually makes you feel that if she can do it, there is a way for me to do it too. It feels the dream is closer,” mentioned Zhang.
However the newest Asian to create a stir in a sport that is still centered round USA and Europe is Filipino teenager Alexandra Eala.
The 19-year-old, just a few weeks earlier, had overwhelmed the likes of 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, reigning Australian Open champion Madison Keys, world No.9 Paula Badosa, and world No.2 and five-time Main winner Iga Swiatek to achieve the Miami Masters semi-final.
“She’s very good. I watched her play, whoa,” mentioned Thailand’s Manachaya Sawangkaew, who, at world No.112, was the second highest ranked participant in Pune. “We’ve seen Alex, seen how she’s fought for herself and her country. Everyone knows she’s from the Philippines. And in Thailand and Asia, it’s just going to get better.”
Na and Naomi Osaka, who represents Japan and has received two Australian Open and two US Open titles, are the one Asian ladies to have received singles championships in a Grand Slam occasion. Japan’s Kei Nishikori got here closest to doing that amongst Asian males when he completed as runner-up on the 2014 US Open.
However simply earlier than Eala’s breakthrough, China had one other world-beating expertise in Qinwen Zheng. The 22-year-old reached the 2024 Australian Open remaining and managed to win gold on the Paris Olympics later that yr.
“China took the decision to take tennis forward around 2010,” mentioned India’s captain Vishal Uppal. “Every district champion is given full support and funding to travel wherever, in or out of China, to play tournaments. They can hire coaches and physios also if required. All these resources are there at their disposal.”
“The sponsors are the most important,” mentioned Sawangkaew, who had reached the ultimate of the WTA125 Mumbai Open in February. “They have a lot of tournaments (in the country). They have a big team that travels with trainers, coaches and physios. So, they give their players a lot of support.”
With Europe and USA nonetheless internet hosting the majority of the tournaments in any respect ranges on the worldwide calendar, Asia has a geographical drawback.
New Zealand, who certified for the Billie Jean King Cup playoffs with India final week, has most of its upcoming gamers enrolled in American schools so as to get a foothold within the sport.
Now ranked fifteenth on the earth, Ben Shelton benefitted from enjoying a number of Challenger and Tour degree occasions within the US, breaking into the highest 100 with out the 22-year-old leaving the nation.
It additionally helps if you’re primarily based in Europe. “It’s a lot easier. It’s quick, you’re in a different country, you can play, lose, come back, train, go to the next tournament…” mentioned Matt Hair, captain of the New Zealand group. “It makes it tough coming from the countries we come from. Geographically, we are in a tough space. And the finances are also difficult because it’s expensive to get over to Europe and stay there for a few weeks.”
To get round the issue, China is now increase a roster of flagship occasions held within the nation for his or her gamers. This yr, it’s internet hosting two ATP 250 occasions in Chengdu and Hangzhou in September, adopted by the ATP 500 occasion in Beijing and the ATP 1000 Shanghai Masters. Two WTA 1000 occasions are slotted in Beijing and Wuhan, the WTA 500 occasion in Ningbo adopted by WTA 250 occasions in Guangzhou and Jiujiang. China will even maintain the Billie Jean King Cup Finals this yr.
By comparability, India hosts three ATP Challengers and the solitary WTA125 occasion, together with a number of lower-level ITF competitions – this too on the backs of the efforts from particular person state associations reasonably than the nationwide federation.