In the first round of the 2025 Australian Open Junior Girls' Singles, Chinese tennis witnessed a historic moment. 17-year-old Chinese player Wang Yuhan achieved a thrilling comeback victory, breaking China's five-year record in the event.
Wang Yuhan hails from Ganzhou, Jiangxi, and grew up in a family with a strong sports atmosphere. Her father, Wang Yuan, was once a shooting athlete who later transitioned into becoming a tennis enthusiast. Her brother, Wang Weiqing, has also won the Jiangxi Youth Tennis Championship. The support and role model influence from her family have propelled Wang Yuhan forward on her tennis journey. After a year of hard work, her world junior ranking soared to No. 53, making her the highest-ranked junior player in China at present.
This Australian Open marks Wang Yuhan's first appearance on the stage of a Grand Slam junior event. In the first set, she started slowly and was broken by her opponent, falling behind 0-3. However, the young player did not panic and successfully broke back in the fifth game, demonstrating her tenacious fighting spirit. Despite this, the match remained closely contested, and she was broken again in the sixth game, with the score at 2-4. Her opponent then took another game, leaving Wang Yuhan trailing 2-5 under immense pressure.
But Wang Yuhan did not give up. She steadied her mindset and fought back point by point. Ultimately, she completed a comeback in the first set with a 7-5 victory and followed it up with a 7-6 win in the second set, defeating Latvian player Zeltina in straight sets to advance to the second round of the Australian Open Juniors. In this match, Wang Yuhan battled for two hours, achieving six breaks, embodying the future and hope of Chinese tennis with her resilience and skill.
Since Bai Zhuoxuan reached the semifinals of the Australian Open Junior Girls' Singles in 2020, Wang Yuhan is the first Chinese player to win a main draw match in the Australian Open Junior Girls' Singles. Her outstanding performance undoubtedly injects a strong dose of confidence into Chinese tennis, filling people with anticipation for this 17-year-old prodigy. Wang Yuhan's victory not only breaks China's five-year record in the event but also showcases the rise and breakthrough of Chinese tennis in the junior domain.
Wang Yuhan's journey at the Australian Open continues, with each serve and shot she makes writing a new chapter for Chinese tennis. This 17-year-old prodigy is shining brightly on the Australian Open court with her sweat and efforts, radiating the glory of Chinese tennis.