Chinese tennis player Zhang Zhizhen aims for a shot against Argentina's Federico Coria during their first-round clash at the 2024 Australian Open in Melbourne, Australia on January 15, 2024. After a 6-4, 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/5), Zhang became the second male player from the Chinese mainland to make the second round at the Australian Open in the Open era after Shang Juncheng did so in 2023. Photo: VCG

China's male tennis trailblazer Zhang Zhizhen beat Federico Coria of Argentina by 6-4, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (5) in his opening match at the Australian Open, marking the first win in his career at the major event.

Zhang, now ranked No.54, will face Frenchman Ugo Humbert, the No.21 seed in the second round.

"I've been waiting for four years," Zhang told the post-match press conference. "This time I'm well-prepared, and to be honest, I've been waiting for victory for a long time."

When summarizing the reasons for the victory, Zhang specifically mentioned the support of the Chinese fans at the venue.

"It's a bit unexpected actually. I thought I was going to lose the second set, but ended up winning. In the third set, I thought I was going to lose again, but ended up winning," Zhang said. 

"The atmosphere played a crucial role in winning the tiebreak in the second set. After saving match points, the cheers from the crowd gave me a lot of help and also subdued the opponent's momentum," Zhang said.

In previous seasons, Zhang's performance at the beginning of the year was generally average, but it seems much better this season.

"Although it's only been two weeks this year, I do feel much better. Maybe it's because of the good winter training, or maybe other reasons," he added.

"This time I hope to seize the opportunity to gain points in the next few months, play well, participate in more tournaments, and strive to break into the top 30."

China has been waiting for a men's tennis player capable of climbing to the heights of former women's world No.2 Li Na. A two-time Grand Slam champion, Li also won at the Australian Open in 2014.

Zhang, who is 27 years old, did not become famous overnight. Up to the end of 2022, he achieved only slow progress, becoming the first man from the Chinese mainland to rank in the top 100. 

When he rose to world No.52 in July 2023, he overtook his 24-year-old compatriot Wu Yibing, making history as the highest-ranked Chinese mainland player.

Zhang, affectionately nicknamed ZZZ, said competing with high-level athletes in the past season, including playing against world No.1 Novak Djokovic at the United Cup earlier this month, made him able to understand himself better.

"After competing with high-level players over the past year, I have a clearer understanding of my level, who I can compete with, and which players are particularly challenging for me," he said. 

Chen Chi, a Beijing-based tennis commentator, said Zhang is not a player who will have instant success, but he will gradually build up his achievements.

"Zhang recognizes the importance of patience in his career. Despite initial struggles in the early days of his career, he always aims to maintain a consistent level of performance," Chen told the Global Times. 

"He views the challenges as a process, and it may take a few years to reach such high levels consistently. I believe he can make it into the third round at the Australian Open this season."