Wu Yiping made tennis history this weekend, as he became the first Chinese man to win an ATP title at the Dallas Open. The 23-year-old defeated the likes of world number 7 Taylor Fritz en route to the final as he saved four tournament points to defeat John Isner and lift the trophy, and he has now set a new ranking record as a result.
Wu enjoyed a history-making run at the Dallas Open last week, achieving a number of milestones for Chinese tennis en route to the trophy. In addition to being the first Chinese man to win a title, he was also the first man in the Open Era to reach a tour-level final and the first to defeat a top 10 player, squandering world No. 7 Taylor Fritz in the semi-finals. -last.
And the 23-year-old continues to put his name in the Chinese tennis history books after jumping an astonishing 39 places in the ATP rankings as a result of his win, making him the new world No. 58. This means Wu is now the highest-ranked Chinese player in ATP history. professionals.
The top 60 rookie knows what he’s achieved, as he made clear what he means during Sunday’s trophy ceremony after he saved four championship points to beat former world No. 8 Isner in a roller coaster final 6-7 (4) 7-6 (3) 7-6 (12). ). Wu said afterwards, “I made history here for my country and my home.”
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“I am very proud of myself and especially thankful to all the fans and my team who have come here for support. I couldn’t have done it without any of you.” Wu later explained the significance of his week in Dallas during an interview with the ATP, saying, “I feel happy.
“It’s not just about winning the title. It’s more about me personally making history, and also for the country. It’s huge for the next generation. For me, I need to keep going, keep my body healthy and I’m sure there’s more to come.”
Isner – who fired 44 aces during the two-hour, 58-minute final – shared his disappointment after the match as he explained what made Wu’s match so difficult, as the Chinese star also took down the third and eighth seeds in Denis Shapovalov. and Adrian Mannarino earlier in the week. He said afterwards: “It’s hard to lose.”
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“I don’t know how many match points I had, I’m sure it’s a lot. I swear I thought I won the match a few times. I know he hit one ball…it had to [on] The back 16th of the line on a point…sport can be brutal. I had a match point in the second set, too.”
Praising Wu, he added, “It’s like he’s playing every point the same way, so definitely no tension. He gets a ball to hit, he hits it, and on this pitch his shot is difficult and he’s uncomfortable with it… He’s an incredible ball striker and talent.” Very good “.
