First Successful Light: Shang Juncheng dishes on teddy bears & tiramisu | ATP Tour

First Winner

First Look at the Winner: Shang dishes on teddy bears & tiramisu

China’s #NextGenATP star is looking at his special moment

September 24, 2024

#NextGenATP superstar Shang Juncheng made history on Tuesday by becoming the first Chinese player to win an ATP Tour title on home soil at the Chengdu Open.

The 19-year-old also became the first player born in 2005 or later to win on the ATP Tour. This week, he had not played a tour-level tournament.

ATPTour.com caught up with Shang to discuss his maiden moment, important attitude change, his lucky charms and more.

What does it mean to win your first ATP Tour title?
It’s been a tough week, tough games, tough opponents, and I think it’s special to win that, and I feel very grateful to play [front of] my crowd at home, and they were amazing this week. All the energy was great. My team, it helped me a lot. My family supports me all week. Of course super, super happy.

This is a historic moment not only for winning your first title, but also for making more history in Chinese tennis. Does that make this important and what should people know about your friendship with other Chinese stars?
It’s always special to play at home, let alone win the title. I never thought I could do this at the beginning of my career, but I am grateful for this. Just a special week. I was going game by game, not knowing what would happen next.

All of [the other Chinese players]they support me, and we support each other. We are like competing with each other, Chinese players. I’m playing next week in Beijing, actually, and I think it’s going to be a good tournament, a good fight, and I’m really excited for what’s next.

What are the key moments in your career that have helped you get to this point?
To be honest there are many important moments, but I think what has changed is the attitude towards tennis. I think I was trying to put tennis second. It’s not the most important thing. It doesn’t matter how many titles you win. Finally, it [is about] people, people around you and family around you. That is very important. So I think I was focused on me, my friends, family, less than tennis. So when I’m on the court, I enjoy it. When I’m not on the court, it’s not always about tennis.

Can you take a moment to acknowledge some important people in your life and career who have helped you reach this milestone?
My parents, they have been supporting me since day one. My grandparents, they are really helpful, they really support me all the time. And my coach, Martin and the IMG Academy family, have been very helpful in my career. At the age of 14, I practice with all the professionals, it’s a really amazing place to practice, at IMG, and I thank all the people around me.

I’m starting to feel at home 🇨🇳🏆

Shang becomes the first player born in 2005 or later to win an ATP Tour title after defeating Musetti 7-6(4) 6-1!@ChengduOpen | #ChengduOpen pic.twitter.com/9w8t4Alnlp

– ATP Tour (@atptour) September 24, 2024

Both your parents are actors. What lesson did you learn from each of them?
I think not showing emotions and gratitude for what you have because if you are successful it doesn’t mean you really deserve it, maybe because you are lucky. And when others fail, it doesn’t mean they are just bad at something. Maybe they are unlucky.

You don’t judge people by what you see first. So I think that’s something that’s really, really important in our family, to try not to judge, to always appreciate and learn to be better.

He is only 19 years old, and he is here as the ATP Tour champion. What is the most important lesson you have learned in the last few years since you started this journey as a professional?
Some people say that one job can be really long, but I think the last two years, it has gone by like a flash. And I think you don’t get to play that many years. Suddenly, maybe I’ll be 30, 35, years old. So you have to enjoy what you have, and you never know what will happen tomorrow. So enjoy, enjoy the moment. Whatever you have, try to live 100 percent, try to enjoy it.

You have been collecting teddy bears for a long time and they have become your lucky charms. Would you like to tell fans about your current lucky charm, where you got it and why it’s important to you?
I think having a bear sitting in court, you can’t really be angry with a teddy bear. If you are angry at a teddy bear, there is something wrong with you. So I try to control myself. Whenever he falls, I pick him up like that [it] he can have a good place to watch the game. It’s really a mental thing. There really aren’t any secrets to it, just having a good attitude.

How would you define yourself as a player, and how would you define yourself off the field?
I think I’m really obvious. On and off the court. I’m almost the same. Maybe a little crazier off. On the court, I’m calm, very focused, and I think, I’m a really positive person, always happy.

What do you consider to be your greatest passion outside of tennis and can you tell us a little bit about that passion?
I would say golf. I think that helped me a lot with my patience. It’s a four-hour game. You need all day to play. And sometimes the conditions are tough, windy, like tennis. So if you persevere in that, something off the court, I believe it’s like training, have fun at the same time.

This is an important moment in your career. How will you celebrate this victory?
I’m thinking about eating tiramisu!