By Scoop Malinowski
We’ve seen a lot of first time ATP title winners over there years but there may be something extra special about Yibing Wu’s 67 76 76 triumph over John Isner yesterday in the American’s home city of Dallas. Wu saved four championship points vs Isner to become the first Chinese man to win an ATP title. Just a week ago Wu lost in the final of Cleveland Challenger to Aleksander Kovacevic.
But it was the style and manner in which the 23 year old Wu performed his tennis magic. Speed, precision, power, guts, courage, iron will… Novak Djokovic is the greatest player ever right now but the reality is somebody is going to come along in the future and exceed his impossible level of tennis excellence (or perfection).
Isner was highly impressed by the performance he saw from Wu yesterday…
“I don’t know how many match points I had (four), 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 be [on] the back sixteenth of the line on one of the points… Sports can be brutal. I had match point in the second set too. It’s like he plays every point the same, so definitely no nerves. He gets a ball to hit, he hits it, and on this court it’s hard to hit him a shot he is uncomfortable with… He is an unbelievable ballstriker and a very good talent. He’s unflappable.”
It was an astonishing win by the newcomer – to barge into the home court of Dallas-resident Isner and snatch away the title the American so desperately wanted. The 37 year old Isner, ranked 37, has not won an ATP title since Atlanta 2021, which was his 16th career championship.
One would think a youngster like Wu might have been satisfied with his first ATP final appearance and perhaps he would have naturally slightly deferred to the moment and not play such spectacular, guns-blazing tennis – like every other Chinese player in ATP history. But Wu is different and he proved it yesterday.
Now the question is, Is Wu hungry for more? Will the taste of becoming a champion trigger an obsession to slay more dragons and giants in bigger tournaments? At 23, how much stronger and better can Wu become in the future? Or will he be content with what he achieved yesterday in Dallas? There’s no shame at all in being a one-hit wonder.
Tennis observers saw how China embraced and adored the former Grand Slam champion Li Na which sparked a boom for the sport in the enormous nation.
Yibing Wu is the player that China and the tennis establishment has been waiting for for many years to emerge. It will be fascinating to watch where Wu evolves to in the future.
“I made history here for my country and for my home,” said Wu after his historic conquest. “I’m very proud of myself and especially thanks to all the fans and my team who came here to support. I couldn’t do this without any of you guys.”
(Photos by Cathy Wang.)
adidas · China · Dallas Open · Head tennis · John Isner · Yibing Wu
