On August 1, Chinese pair Wang Xinyu and Zhang Zhizhen made history after beating Demi Schuurs and Wesley Koolhof of the Netherlands to reach the Paris Olympics tennis mixed doubles final.
They were teamed up just two hours before the first round of the match. The original teammate of Zhang Zhizhen was Zheng Qinwen, who reached the women's singles final on Thursday, had to quit the mixed doubles to concentrate on the singles.
Wang Xinyu, a professional tennis player from Guangdong's Shenzhen, reached a career-high singles ranking of world No. 32 on October 9, 2023, and a doubles ranking of world No. 16 on May 20, 2024.
"I usually adjust myself to a relatively relaxed state in matches," said Wang. "It's easy to miss key opportunities if you only think about gains and losses." Her relaxation also helped Zhang reach a calmer state of mind on the court.
The Stade Roland Garros has been a great place for Chinese tennis players. For instance, Li Na once won the French Open championship here, and Zhang Zhizhen also became a winner of the French Open Doubles here. "I never lose a doubles game here," said Wang, smiling.
Looking forward to the Olympic finals, Zhang said that they will enjoy as much as they can, no matter who their opponents are. They will keep smiling and encouraging each other.
Author | Fanny
Editor | Will, James
Photo | Xinhua
