CHINA OPEN

September 29, 2023

Shang Juncheng

Press Conference

Y. NISHIOKA/Shang Juncheng

5-7, 7-5, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Welcome to the press conference for Shang Juncheng.

Chinese questions, please.

Q. Could you talk about this match. Under what circumstances do you think everything changed?

SHANG JUNCHENG: In the first two sets I did my best. I wasn't 100% happy. To some extent, I was playing the best tennis I could.

Yoshi has always been a very tough player. He did very well last week. In terms of his level of play, he definitely has a higher level of confidence.

But I also enjoy some advantages playing in front of the home crowd. In general, I did well. I hope that in the future I will be able to win such matches.

Q. From Zhuhai to Beijing, you had some injuries in the decider. Do you feel any difference between Beijing and Zhuhai?

SHANG JUNCHENG: I think the core reason is the same. I also want to find out what exactly happened to me. It has never happened before. This is three weeks in a row this happened, so I'm curious, too.

I am shocked. I would like to discuss with my team this subject.

Q. You were playing in the Lotus Court, one of the venues of the Olympics in front of a cheering crowd. Did you feel pressure?

SHANG JUNCHENG: In this match, mentality-wise I was better than in Zhuhai. I am not thinking too much, not thinking extra stuff. I just wanted to feel the venue, feel this kind of big tournament, enjoy the match in a big event.

So no pressure on that level.

Q. Tough loss, but it's Mid Autumn Festival with your team and your family. How are you going to celebrate this festival?

SHANG JUNCHENG: Of course, I'm disappointed right now. I don't have any plans right now. I think I'm just going to think about Shanghai next.

Q. You're talking about improving your stamina. Do you think cramps have anything to do with your physicality, your power, anything you want to improve? Can you comment on that?

SHANG JUNCHENG: Stamina? It's not really related because this happened three weeks in a row, Guangzhou, Zhuhai and here. I don't think it's related to stamina. It might be associated with my body, there's some changes. I still need to figure that out. I need to discuss that with my team.

The same thing happens three weeks in a row. It's definitely more than stamina. I never retired from a match or got defeated because of cramps.

But coming back to China, I'm trying to figure out why.

Q. Let's switch to another topic. The China Open has a very interesting story that you talked about being brought by your father to come to watch. What was your favorite memory? Can you talk about this kind of difference in your mentality when you were watching a match and then you're playing a match here?

SHANG JUNCHENG: At the time I was eight, nine or ten years old. I don't really remember. I don't really remember what happened in the match. I remember it was in the Diamond Court. I was with my father. It was Rafa. They were playing really well. My first time to watch a professional tennis match. I was deeply impressed.

Q. You have friends of your age that are playing at this event. Do you have any advice for them?

SHANG JUNCHENG: In terms of this? Well, we met here in the China Open. But I was really focusing on my preparation, so we didn't really talk about other topics.

I wish them all the best, good luck in this tournament. Mentality-wise our experiences are quite similar. I just wish them good luck.

Q. These kind of big events, how can that help the improvement the younger generation? Can you talk about what you have learned and what you can teach others?

SHANG JUNCHENG: I don't consider myself as a Trailblazer. I am also learning in this process. I don't want to comment on other players. As long as we have more Chinese players, that's good news for Chinese fans because they will be able to see diversity coming from different people.

I wish them good luck, that they can play their best here.