Zhang, Wu savor major breakthrough

Consistency key

A strongly built power hitter who stands 1.93 meters tall (6-foot-4), Zhang Zhizhen reckons the biggest obstacle for Chinese men to crack the top echelon is a lack of consistent exposure to elite competition.

That's why he made the tough decision to base himself at Ljubicic Tennis Academy on the Croatian island of Losinj.

Helping to ease some of the headaches of international travel in between tournaments, Zhang Zhizhen now trains and recovers at the academy－founded by former world No 3 Ivan Ljubicic, who currently acts as a manager and agent for the Chinese star.

"It's the first season of my career that I've been able to play a full international calendar so I can build my game and my confidence step by step without any interruptions," said Zhang Zhizhen, who reached four ATP Challenger finals in his buildup to New York.

"In the past, we had to balance pro tournaments overseas and some mandatory domestic events, which sometimes took the momentum away."

Wu, dubbed the "Wonder Boy" of Chinese tennis following his 2017 breakout junior season, echoed that sentiment.

"It's really important to play more consistently and internationally as opposed to just staying at home practicing hard and only competing domestically," said Wu, who has cracked the top 200 in a meteoric rise from around No 1,800 at the beginning of the year.

Winning three Challenger titles over the past two months, Wu is enjoying a resurgence following years of injury struggles. His serve looks sharp again, his return asks more questions of opponents and his movement is a lot quicker around the court.

"As long as I am healthy with no major fitness issues, I believe my game, technically speaking, belongs in the world's top 30 or even 20. I still have more work to do to perfect my volleys, slice shots and tactics approaching the net," said Wu.

And the return to where it all started seems to be helping to ease any Grand Slam nerves he might be feeling. "Of course I'm happy. I'm happy to be back here playing in my first major event since 2017, when I won here," added Wu.

"It's pretty special for me, but I'm just trying to enjoy tennis, show everyone－including myself－that I can still play."