Tung-Lin Wu was not meant to be a tennis participant. His grandfather was the principal at an elementary faculty in Chinese Taipei and several other different relations taught at elementary colleges. His father, Chung-Fong, labored his method as much as be a professor of train physiology.
“I think my father wanted me to go the same way as him,” Wu informed ATPTour.com. “Because he gets a really good salary.”
But the household usually did one thing abnormal that modified his trajectory — they would go away tennis on the tv.
“They went out really early and came back really late, so for me and my cousin, the easiest way to set up the kids was to turn on the TV and do their thing,” Wu mentioned. “My childhood was we either went to the club or stayed at home and the TV was on. We couldn’t reach the remote and it was on a sports channel with Wimbledon or baseball.”
Wu’s grandparents managed a non-public tennis membership owned by a buddy, so he would generally tag alongside to the power.
“We just hit on the wall with a racquet or threw a ball, playing baseball,” Wu mentioned. “That’s how I started playing tennis.”
In the early years, tennis was one thing he simply performed for enjoyable. But round age 10, Wu started taking it extra critically. The aim was to earn a scholarship to a greater faculty. One match a decade in the past modified his outlook.
“At age 14 I had an opportunity to play [the] World Junior [Championships] in the Czech Republic. We made it to the final round and I remember I played with Michael Mmoh and it was a close match,” Wu mentioned. “At the time I realised maybe I should try to play pro because at the time he was one of the best players of his age in the world. So maybe I had a chance to be a pro player.”
The path was not at all times straightforward, although. For the previous a number of years, Wu has battled on the ATP Challenger Tour, claiming his first title at that degree final 12 months in Florida. Fittingly, he defeated Mmoh within the remaining.
Still, Wu had not claimed a match win at an ATP Tour occasion. That modified Wednesday night, when he upset Alexander Bublik on the BNP Paribas Open, an ATP Masters 1000 occasion.
“I still cannot believe it,” mentioned Wu, who has the respect of his friends.
Australian Open doubles champion Rinky Hijikata, who has confronted Wu a number of instances in each singles and doubles, mentioned: “Honestly I believe he is most likely top-of-the-line returners on Tour. He’s undoubtedly one of the troublesome returners I’ve ever performed towards. He takes the ball on actual early and he has large cuts on returns. I really feel like he by no means actually misses, in order that’s at all times robust to play towards.
“He’s a big, strong guy. He’s got a pretty good serve and he’s got a very good backhand. He’s very solid from the back, so it’s not easy to play against him and there are not too many weaknesses there. I think he also competes really well, pretty complete player.”
The 24-year-old, who says he enjoys baseball and may throw one 85 miles per hour, started to look at basketball this 12 months and walked round Indian Wells Thursday carrying a Luka Doncic Dallas Mavericks shirt. He additionally likes to play a horse racing sport on his telephone.
But above all, Wu is a tennis savant. He continues to be the identical child who watched the game on tv at dwelling when he had no alternative.
“I have a lot of passion [for] this sport. I just really like it. If you ask me something about tennis I can talk with you the whole afternoon, whole night, whole day,” Wu mentioned. “There isn’t any very skilled coach or participant in Taiwan, so when you don’t have the assets to rent a international coach, you need to type of preserve [your game] by your self.
“It’s been a long journey. I’ve learned a lot and I like when I realise new things and find new ideas and try it on court. I think this brings me more joy.”
Wu’s aim is to crack the Top 10 within the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. He is focussing on working onerous within the hopes of that carrying him to his goals, beginning along with his second-round match towards 2021 BNP Paribas Open champion Cameron Norrie.
“I’m so proud for my family. It’s been a long journey since I decided to play professionally and I didn’t really think that I would go this far,” Wu mentioned. “I’m just really happy that I made it and hopefully I can do better and better.”
Source web site: www.atptour.com
