CHINA OPEN

September 29, 2025

Zhang Shuai

Press Conference

A. ANISIMOVA/Zhang Shuai

7-6, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: Zhang Shuai, not the result you wanted today, but very strong performance for you. How can you summarize the match today?

ZHANG SHUAI: Yeah, today I think really great match. Amanda, she's the one best I like in the tennis, I mean, the style in the tour. So I watch a lot her play.

I know she level. For me is the best, the top. I mean, she play beautiful tennis. She played really great cross-court down the line. Really great serve and return. I mean, everything I like.

I mean, lost to her, I'm nothing feeling bad. I just can see a lot things I can improve myself and I can learn from her. Normally I watch on phone or on court, now I can play against her. I can get more feeling from her tennis.

So yes, I feel a lot positive things. We can continue training and building my tennis. Can maybe one day play like her.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You talk about playing Amanda. She hits maybe harder than anybody on the tour. What do you think you can learn from the way she plays her tennis and hits the ball that you can adopt in your game?

ZHANG SHUAI: Yeah, because she take ball early. Her technique I think the best. Also she play really deep and wide. That's my goal. That's what I'm want to do.

But normally if I play against other player, I can do similar like her. That's why I win lot of matches last couple month. But when she play this level, I'm still need a lot things to do. Yeah, my level still need to improve a lot.

But I still feeling, yeah, a lot positive things. So I'm happy for all my performance.

Q. In the tiebreak, what do you think you could have done better or was it too good from Amanda?

ZHANG SHUAI: For sure I could do better, so much better. But today my body not 100% good. Before the match I tell my team if I can win one game I'm happy, because my body is worse today.

I say like I hope not 6-Love, 6-Love today. I try to win at least one game. I already win six games, so yeah, with this body, I'm really happy, but still not my best day. I have to work a lot and also be patient.

I hope I can play more singles match in Asia, in China. I hope I can play more singles match next year. Right now looks everything is on right way and really positive. I have great team. We will continue do the right things. I think we will be better and better for sure next year.

Because this year I only play one tournament per month, so my ranking like 110. That's amazing. I mean, I keep my body healthy and only play, like, two singles tournament in Australia hard court, two tournament on clay, two tournament on grass, two tournament in U.S. season, and now the first week in China.

I'm looking forward for the next one or two month.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in Chinese.

Q. When you were answering in English, you said it wasn't your best day. You were playing amazing tonight.

ZHANG SHUAI: Thank you for the compliment. Of course, compared to the two previous matches, my body is not 100%. It's not about fatigue. My body needs time to recover.

But the good thing is I think I will be better in Wuhan. This is what I hope. Of course, there are many uncertainties. In this match I see many positive things. We've been working to be better and I'm on the right track.

Of course, it is still distance from my ideal situation. The tennis I learned is a tennis of the old age. Now I'm competing against the most modern techniques of modern tennis, against one of the top women players.

In the first half of the match, I was able to compete with her, with very small margins. This is something I'm really happy about. I'm on the right track. This is something I would love to be.

But my body doesn't allow me to be at that intensity for the whole match. I will do my best to adjust my body and try to do my best for the rest of the season. This is only the first tournament in the Asian season. I'm happy with my performance. I did well in some of the bigger tournaments this year.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to get more points. In the next coming few weeks, I will try to earn more points to raise my ranking in the singles so that I can play more matches next year.

Q. With the tiebreak, were you happy or is there anything you can improve?

ZHANG SHUAI: Like what I said a few days ago. I am free on court. I let myself go. When a match is over, like a match I lost, what I said to the Chinese women players in Shenzhen, as soon as a match is over, I put it behind me because at a special moment, no matter what I do, I will not be able to alter the result.

You never know what the opponent is thinking. When you are receiving a serve, you don't know where your opponent is serving, with what spin. You can only respond by intuition. Sometimes you don't make the right decisions.

Tennis as a sport, this is where the charm is. We should let the past be in the past. I am happy with my performance today. Whenever I'm on court, I'm proud of myself. I'm able to perform at this level in this round of the tournament. I'm special happy for myself. Made it into the third round of the China Open.

The biggest point for me is the China Open. Last year I thought that was probably my last singles in the China Open. At my age, 700-something ranking, how could I ask for a wild card with a ranking like this? I did not expect that a year after that I was able to be here again playing three matches.

Everything is a gift from God. It is a result for a person who works hard. I'm really happy I can play these three matches in front of the crowd who love this sport. I look forward to support in the future and support for other players.

Like the cool girl in the audience, she got the spotlight of the whole match. You can just cheer for anyone you want. This is the atmosphere we all look forward to.