A WINNING MENTALITY

Rising teen star has the passion of youth, but the composure of a seasoned pro, as he bids for future Grand Slam glory

Becoming the first Chinese man to win a main draw match at the Australian Open in the Open era, Chinese teen Shang Juncheng made headlines and history with his performance at his Grand Slam debut. Speaking about the reasons behind the breakthrough, Shang believes it takes a lot more than passion to achieve a dream.

"I don't consider tennis to be just my passion, I also treat it like a job. If love is the sole motivation that keeps me going, some day I may stop finding this sport interesting, perhaps due to defeats or other reasons," Shang told China Daily's online show On Your Marks.

"When I encounter difficulties or face bad results, I just tell myself 'don't be influenced by your emotions'.No matter where I will be in the future, I will tell myself to stay low-key and to focus on training with the same attitude as I do now. I need to go through each day of the journey with a desire to learn from it and enjoy it."