Third time’s the charm? In just his third junior Grand Slam tournament ever, world No. 1 junior Shang Juncheng is set to contend for his first-ever boys’ singles title at the 2021 US Open. Should he emerge victorious over opponent Daniel Rincon of Spain, the 16-year-old lefty will become just the second Chinese player in history (after Yibing Wu in 2018) to lift that particular trophy. Needless to say, Shang is enjoying his debut in Flushing Meadows.
“I’m really excited because it’s my first time playing in New York in front of a crowd,” Shang said after his semifinal match against No. 11 seed Sascha Gueymard Wayenburg. “The energy in New York is the best.”
He’s not just enjoying the energy. He’s also loving the fight. After slow starts in almost every match, he has routinely problem-solved and subsequently summoned his best tennis, stepping into the court to put his opponents on the back foot. He’s dropped just one set all week.
"I think the courts here suit me really well,” he said. “It’s really fast. I’m the type of player who likes being aggressive, attacking. I think this week is the best tennis I’ve played all year so far.”
It’s a high bar to set, given his 2021. In March, Shang made his professional debut at the Miami Open, where he received a wild card into the qualifying draw and, in his first match, nearly defeated world No. 158 Liam Broady before falling a final set tiebreak.
“That was my first-ever pro tournament, so I was really nervous in the beginning,” Shang recalled. “As soon as I got into the match, I felt like I could have a chance against these guys. So that gave me a lot of confidence [in my game].”
A month later, he captured the boys’ 18s title at the Easter Bowl in San Diego. In doing so, he became just the fourth player in history to win the prestigious junior event in both the 14s and 18s divisions. (Shang claimed the 14s trophy two years earlier, in 2019.) The only other three players to achieve such a feat? Current pros Mackenzie McDonald and Donald Young, and another lefty, a little-known tennis figure by the name of John McEnroe.
Later, in the summer, Shang found himself in the late stages of his first two Grand Slam boys’ singles draws, reaching the quarterfinals on the clay at the French Open and then the semifinals on the grass at Wimbledon. He’s already done one round better in New York, though one round better, he said, isn’t the goal. He’ll be in for a battle against fellow lefty Rincon, who defeated Switzerland’s big-serving Jerome Kym in the other semifinal. Rincon won their only match on the grass at a tournament in Roehampton earlier this year, 6-3, 6-0.
“It didn’t go very well,” Shang said of the last time they played. “I was kind of injured. But I know his game, so I’ll just try to be ready from my side and see what happens.”
If his problem-solving prowess during the fortnight has been any indication, Shang should have more than a fighting chance.
