Shang stuns Rublev in Montreal

It's perhaps too early to make such an assertion, but Shang Juncheng has just pulled off arguably his most compelling win, perfectly encapsulating the essence of his career so far — resilience.

Down at 3-5 in the decider with his opponent, one of the hardest-hitting men on the circuit, serving for the match, Shang, ranked 281st this week and who has just recovered from a nagging foot injury, could be forgiven by fans had he come up short against 10th seed Andrey Rublev in the second round of the National Bank Open in Montreal on Tuesday.

But, the 21-year-old rising star just wouldn't let it go, even with Rublev, the event's 2024 finalist, amassing five match points in the 10th game. Shang fended them all off through sheer will to force a third-set tiebreaker, before eventually pulling off a 7-5,4-6, 7-6 (5) upset at the IGA Stadium.

Shang is now into the third round at an ATP1000 Masters tournament for only the second time in his budding career, and has become the first Chinese man to reach that stage in Montreal, a key tune-up for the US Open.

The gutsy escape act against Rublev, currently ranked No 16 and who beat Shang in their only previous meeting in Hong Kong in 2024, marked the young Chinese ace's fifth career win over a top-20 opponent, one which took place at only his second tournament since returning from a six-month injury layoff.

Shang has pocketed $61,865 in prize money and enough points to climb around 50 spots up the rankings in Montreal so far, but more importantly, has rebuilt trust in his own body as he looks set for a revival through the hard-court North American and Asian swings.

"Andrey is a good friend, a great competitor and a great champion," Shang said after outlasting the Russian 18-time ATP title winner over two hours and 44 minutes in windy conditions.

"It is a pleasure to share the court with him again.

"I am happier that I am 100 percent healthy and playing my best tennis again, though," added Shang, who reached a career-high ranking of No 47 in October 2024 after winning his first ATP Tour singles title in Chengdu.

"I know my tennis is there, but I just need to stay healthy. That's a big part of being a top player, and that's something I have to learn from the top players: to get my level back and keep it consistent."

Born into a sporting family — his father used to play in China's domestic soccer league and mother was a table tennis mixed doubles world champion — Shang enjoyed an early career surge that saw him clinch a string of "youngest-ever" records for Chinese men's tennis.

He became the first male player from the Chinese mainland, and the youngest, to qualify for the main draw at the ATP1000 level by making it all the way through qualifiers at Indian Wells, California, in 2022 at the age of 17.

His best season to date, in 2024, saw him become the youngest Chinese man ever to register a main-draw win at a Masters tournament with victory over Jordan Thompson, also at Indian Wells that March, before he broke into the top 100 the following May as the youngest Chinese male player to do so.

Then came exposure to the grueling nature of the sport, as repeated physical issues stymied his career ascent for the best part of two years. A series of injuries to both feet, his elbow and his wrist forced him into long breaks, with each lasting over six months, in the first half of 2025 and earlier this season.

They have helped, however, to hone his mental fortitude.

"It was boring and frustrating during the hard times of my rehab, but that's also what made the comebacks so sweet," said Shang, who will play Italian 19th seed Luciano Darderi in the round of 32 on Thursday.

As inspiring as Shang's return has been, veteran Zhang Shuai's gritty performance this week in Canada also served up a strong boost for Chinese tennis, especially for the women's side, where most of her younger compatriots are struggling with dips in form.

The 37-year-old Zhang, who added a third doubles major trophy at the Australian Open in January, proved she remains a force to be reckoned with on the singles circuit as well, by advancing into the third round at the WTA1000 tournament in Toronto on Tuesday.

Facing the 2017 French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko, Zhang produced a commanding performance, winning 10 straight games before her 29-year-old Latvian opponent decided to retire while trailing 6-0,4-0, due to a sudden injury.

Zhang's two-win run in Toronto, following a seven-match singles losing streak on the WTA Tour, has suggested that the evergreen career of China's most experienced women's ace is far from done yet.

"Playing the game for as long as I have, I won't get too carried away by each win or loss anymore. It's the composure and poise that helped me enjoy each match and still keep pushing at my age," said Zhang, who's climbed to No 55 on the live WTA rankings following her two wins in Canada.

Zhang now has to make all her experience count as she prepares for a tough matchup against world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the round of 32.