YiFanXu
Falling in love with the game
I started playing tennis at the age of eight. At first, I just played once a week for fun while I was playing table tennis. Then I ended up quitting table tennis about eight months later and focused on just the tennis from then.
Ever since I first started playing, I’ve always enjoyed the process of improving my game and trying to achieve better results. My aim is to be a better player and person and to ultimately win a doubles Grand Slam.
To do that, I need to continue working on both my physical and mental shape. Those are definitely related, you only improve when you believe that both will help you on court and off court. You have to have the right mindset first before you start working on the physical side of your game. It’s when both aspects work together to push you towards your goal that things really get better.
My best so far
There are a few moments that really stand out in my career so far. Winning the 2017 Miami Open Women’s Doubles Championship, reaching the semi finals of the 2016 Australian Open semifinal were great moments. But I’m also really proud to have climbed to number 9 in the world doubles rankings.
Player Stats
You have to have the right mindset first before you start working on the physical side of your game.
Day in. Day out.
When I’m at a tournament, my days are pretty straightforward. I have a good breakfast, then go to the gym to warm up and work on my fitness and then head to the court to practice. Later I’ll go back to the hotel and enjoy a nice dinner in a restaurant.
If I’ve had a bad match or practice session, I like talking to friends or my coach, then I’ll rest for a day and then get back to pushing myself to keep moving forward.
Role models help me to keep pushing forward too. Roger Federer is my greatest inspiration, because we have the same birthday, ha ha. But I do think we have similar personalities. I believe I can be as generous as he is off the court and I’ll always try be be as good as he is on the court, we’ll have to see if that happens.
Staying grounded
I love the travelling we get to do and the experience of visiting different places around the world. I really enjoy visiting local coffee shops to learn more about their culture and history and I also like to try and visit houses to feel how the local people live.
To relax, I like to watch football and when I get time away from tennis, I’ll play just about any sport I can. I love all sports.
Join our community
Thanks for signing up
Now you're a part of the Dunlop community, we'll keep you in the know with our latest news and offers.