Thousands converged at the iconic lotus-shaped Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Tennis Stadium on Thursday afternoon to watch the wheelchair tennis women's singles final at the 4th Asian Para Games.
Wheelchair tennis, as the name suggests, is played between players sitting in wheelchairs. It follows able-bodied rules with one exception: the ball is allowed to bounce twice, provided the first bounce occurs within the bounds of the court.
In the electrifying match, Zhu Zhenzhen from China faced off against Yui Kamiji of Japan on the other side of the net.
Zhu Zhenzhen of China looks on during the wheelchair tennis women's doubles final at the 4th Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, China, on October 25, 2023. (Photo: Lu Dong/People's Daily)
Notably, the previous day at the same court, Zhu and her compatriot Guo Luoyao competed in the women's doubles final against Yui Kamiji and Manami Tanaka for the title. The Chinese duo went down to Japanese opponents in a three-hour thriller to secure silver.
Zhu Zhenzhen (L) and Guo Luoyao celebrate after scoring a point during the wheelchair tennis women's doubles final at the 4th Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, China, on October 25, 2023. (Photo: Lu Dong/People's Daily)
Chances were not on Zhu's side during Thursday's final, as she admitted to having suffered muscle cramps during Wednesday's match. The condition, plus fatigue due to busy competition schedules, prevented her from giving full play to her technical strengths, although she displayed remarkable resilience throughout the 90-minute showdown.
Zhu Zhenzhen of China (L) shakes hands with Yui Kamiji of Japan after the wheelchair tennis women's singles final match at the 4th Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, China, on October 26, 2023. (Photo: Lu Dong/People's Daily)
"It's a pity that I missed the gold. That requires me to spend more time practicing and make more efforts to improve in the future... There are some details that I could have handled better," she recalled during an interview with the People's Daily after the match.
The 34-year-old left-hander concluded her Asian Para Games campaign on home soil with two silver medals, but few knew how spectacular her career had already been.
Zhu Zhenzhen of China serves the ball to Yui Kamiji of Japan during the wheelchair tennis women's doubles final match at the 4th Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, China, on October 26, 2023. (Photo: Lu Dong/People's Daily)
Zhu gained prominence at the 2020 Australian Open by becoming the first Chinese wheelchair tennis player to successfully navigate the qualifying rounds to enter a Grand Slam tournament.
Born in 1989, Zhu contracted osteomyelitis at age two. The serious bone infection forced her life to virtually begin in a wheelchair. However, tennis has always been a profound source of inspiration in times of adversities.
Zhu Zhenzhen of China serves in her wheelchair tennis women's singles semifinals against Aniek Van Koot of the Netherlands during the 2020 Australian Open in Melbourne, Australia, on January 30, 2020. (Photo: CFP)
"I began to play tennis when I was 16... Wheelchair tennis helps me to find my direction in life and motivates me to reach my goals," Zhu said. "Being disabled does not mean having to rely on families. Instead, we can make a living with our own hands."
She acknowledges that she was a latecomer in tennis world.
"Wheelchair tennis was something new to me when I was 17, but at this age she was playing at Grand Slam level already," she said, referring to Yui Kamiji. She regarded Kamiji as both a rival and a friend.
Zhu decided to turn pro in 2019 when she began to play in the Wheelchair Tennis Tour.
"Traveling all over the world to play tennis allowed me to make more friends. Those friends influenced me not only with their care shown to me but also with their broad horizons," Zhu reflected during the interview.
Zhu Zhenzhen of China plays in the wheelchair women's singles match at the US Open in New York, US, on September 7, 2022. (Photo: CFP)
But she admitted, from where she stood, it was a tough decision. She worried about language barriers at that time, but she figured out later that if she wanted to be truly great in the sport, there was no other option but to face the challenge head-on.
"Life is full of difficulties. If we do not overcome them, we stand still and make no progress. So we have to prevail over those obstacles, one after another," she said.
Over the past few years, Zhu has never ceased to amaze her fans, confirming her status as one of the world's best by having played all four Grand Slams. Her best performance so far came from this year's Australian Open, where she paired with Yui Kamiji to finish second in the women's wheelchair doubles. Last August, she reached a career-high singles ranking – world No. 5 – in the International Tennis Federation (ITF).
Zhu Zhenzhen of China competes in the French Open wheelchair women's singles first-round match against Yui Kamiji of Japan at Roland Garros on June 6, 2023. (Photo: CFP)
Her remarkable grit and determination have earned her well-deserved glory on the world stage as well as a prestigious membership of the Wheelchair Tennis Player Council under the ITF. As she reflectes on her rise to prominence, she humbly acknowledges that she has taken on increased influence and greater responsibilities.
"As an athlete, all that I need to think of is to enhance my skills," she said. "But as a council member, I need to speak for athletes and make their voices heard."
The tennis veteran noted that she anticipates an increase in the participation of Chinese athletes in the four major Grand Slams in the future. Drawing from her own international competition experiences, she emphasized that numerous challenges could lie ahead. However, she believes that she can play a crucial role in paving a way for other Chinese players to follow, thereby building a path of success for them.
She has been lobbying for more sponsorship for wheelchair players to cover their expenses of playing overseas.
"I hope that through my efforts, I can pave the way for oncoming Chinese wheelchair tennis players so that they can make progress faster without experiencing the difficulties I met," said Zhu, adding that she would like to see the Chinese wheelchair tennis team rank among the world's best.
Zhu Zhenzhen (L) and Guo Luoyao look at their silver medals during the victory ceremony of the wheelchair tennis women's doubles at the 4th Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, China, on October 25, 2023. (Photo: Lu Dong/People's Daily)
Now, she wants to go even further. Growing the sport in China is among her life goals. She has been dreaming of organizing successful wheelchair tennis events in China.
Thankfully, her dreams are coming true. She feels glad to witness that for the very first time, a wheelchair tennis tournament has taken place in Beijing earlier this month. That is a milestone for her and for all wheelchair tennis players across the country.
"We are bridging the gap with world powerhouses in the sport. We have good momentum," she enthused.
Looking ahead, Zhu hopes to excel on the tennis court and win more medals so that Chinese wheelchair tennis can get more attention on the world stage.
"On the ITF world rankings table there is a Chinese national flag next to my name. I want to see the Chinese national flag continue to rise on the table," she said.