Who is Bu Yunchaokete, the Chinese player who goes by the mononym Bu?
For starters, Bu lost his third and final qualifying match at the 2026 US Open but was given a “lucky loser” spot after an injured Thanasi Kokkinakis withdrew from the main draw on Tuesday.
Bu reported for duty in Stadium 17 for a match against No. 12 seed Rafael Jodar, the teenaged Spanish star. Fair to say, the Chinese 24-year-old was the underdog, ranked No. 124 in the world. But 108 minutes later, Bu recorded his first-ever main draw Grand Slam match win, dismissing Jodar without ever facing a break point, 6-2, 6-1, 6-1.
It’s also fair to say that Jodar didn’t play his best that match. But Bu was impressive, exuding a confidence and control that far exceeded his rank. He has a stylish game that brings him to the net, where, in this match, he won 85% of the points he played (11 of 13). He was similarly efficient when serving, winning 84% of the points he played behind his first serve.
Bu, who is of Mongolian descent, grew up in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China—which is not exactly a hotbed for tennis talent. As the story goes, he was discovered playing tennis at school, started playing matches in and then outside of China, and eventually signed on with a Spanish coach in Alicante, Spain, where Bu now resides.
Going forward, Bu has the element of surprise on his side. As he moves through the draw, most of the players he’ll meet won’t know his game. In Round 2, for instance, Bu will meet American Michael Zheng, another relative unknown, who only just graduated from Columbia University. It will be their first meeting. Further up the road, there’s not a Top 10 player in their section until the quarterfinals, which could bring a match against No. 6 seed Alex de Minaur.
The 6-foot-1 Bu’s best results came at the 2024 China Open, an ATP 500 event, where he upset Andrey Rublev for his first Top 10 win, then became the first Chinese man to advance to the semifinals at that level tournament, where he was beaten by Jannik Sinner.
A note if you plan to watch his next match, scheduled for Day 6. Bu does have a small but passionate fan base. But when they shout out his name, it sounds like they’re booing him.
