On the evening of October 1, at the Beijing National Tennis Center, Chinese player Bu Yunchao faced a tough battle against world number one Jannik Sinner in the semifinals of the 2024 China Open men’s singles. Despite falling short, Bu received a warm round of applause from the local crowd as he exited the court.
Just a day before, Bu had made headlines by defeating fourth seed Andrey Rublev in straight sets, becoming the first Chinese male player to reach the semifinals at this prestigious event. His unexpected victory sparked curiosity among international fans who took to social media, asking, “Who is Bu?”
Before September of this year, Bu had won only one match on the ATP Tour. However, his career seemed to ignite recently. He successfully navigated through three rounds of US Open qualifying, marking his debut in a Grand Slam main draw. At the ATP 250 Hangzhou Open, he reached the semifinals for the first time on Tour. Most impressively, he defeated Lorenzo Musetti, the Olympic bronze medalist in men’s singles, securing his first victory against a top-10 player and advancing to the semifinals of an ATP 500 event.
When asked about his aspirations as a player, Bu stated, “No. Whether in China or the world, no one has taken the same path I have. I just want to be myself.”
Born in 2002 in Xinjiang’s Bortala Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, Bu was selected at the young age of five by coach Luo Yong at the Huzhou Tennis Center to begin his tennis training. He joined the Zhejiang provincial tennis team in 2011.
Despite showing early promise, Bu faced challenges while transitioning to professional tennis, missing out on a wildcard for Challenger events and starting from the bottom in ITF 15K tournaments.
Between December 2021 and his rise to the ATP Challenger circuit in 2023, Bu made an impressive trajectory, clinching his first Challenger title in April 2023. Though he started late, he maintains a positive perspective on his journey: “Having come from the bottom, I take each step firmly, which builds my confidence.”
Reflecting on his determination, Bu shared, “In the past, I repeated the same things without success. Now, I’m still pushing through. It’s a subtle feeling; there are times when I don’t believe I can do it, but these last two weeks have been different. Even if I don’t feel physically perfect, I haven’t doubted myself and stayed focused on tennis.”
He credits much of his progress to his coaches, Yu Jinxing and Li Zhe, who have played vital roles in his development. “They understand me well and complement each other. They appreciate my perspective, making communication simple and effective.”
Yu Jinxing praised Bu’s talent and work ethic, saying, “Since he was young, he has had a remarkable feel for the game. His expectations for training and competition sometimes surpass my own. He is relentless in his pursuit of perfection.”
Throughout Bu’s four matches at the China Open, he displayed impressive skills in serving, returning, and rallying from the baseline, showcasing a sharper playing style. In the semifinals, he created multiple break points against Sinner and even pushed the match to a tiebreak. Sinner recognized the challenge Bu posed, commenting, “It was tough playing against him. He is well-rounded, excellent, and very young. I believe we’ll see him on bigger stages in the future.”
Bu has also trained at the Ferrero Tennis Academy in Spain, where he has had the opportunity to learn from coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, who has worked with four-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz. “Competing against higher-ranked players feels manageable at first, but as the match goes on, the gaps in your game become evident,” Bu noted, stressing the importance of maintaining composure under pressure and playing aggressively to establish himself on the tour.
Within a span of just two weeks, Bu has surged into the top 100 for the first time, currently occupying the 69th spot in the world rankings, achieving his seasonal goals while securing a place in the main draw for the upcoming Australian Open.
“I’m aiming to break into the top 50,” Bu affirmed, setting his sights firmly on his next milestone.
