Zhang Zhizhen is a prominent tennis player from China who has made significant achievements in his career. He made history in 2021 by becoming the first Chinese man to compete in the main draw at Wimbledon in the Open era. He reached his career-high singles ranking of world No. 91 on 6 February 2023 and his career-high doubles ranking of world No. 211 in September 2017. Zhang has also won several titles, including two singles and two doubles titles on the ATP Challenger and two singles and two doubles titles on the ITF Futures Tour. In October 2022, he made history once again by becoming the first Chinese player to enter the top 100 in the ATP singles rankings. Luka Kutanjac is his current coach.
In May 2023, Zhang Zhizhen added another historic achievement to his list of accomplishments when he became the first Chinese man to reach the quarterfinals of a Masters 1000 tournament. He defeated several top-ranked players along the way, including the second seed Daniil Medvedev, to reach the semifinals of the Mutua Madrid Open. This impressive performance propelled him back up the rankings to world No. 51, a jump of 70 positions. With his consistent and remarkable performances, Zhang is undoubtedly one of the top tennis players from China and is poised to achieve even greater success in the future.
What is Zhang Zhizhen’s nationality?
Born on October 16, 1996, in Shanghai, China, Zhang Zhizhen is a Chinese-Asian who holds Chinese nationality. He comes from a family with a strong sports background. His father, Zhang Weihua (张卫华), was a defender for Shanghai ShenHua in the Chinese Jia-A League, while his mother was a former member of the Shanghai shooting sports team and worked at the Shanghai Bureau of China Telecom. As of 2022, he celebrated his 26th birthday and his zodiac sign is Libra. Zhang is a Christian by religion.
During his early childhood years between 4 to 6, Zhang Zhizhen was enrolled in two weekly swimming classes at kindergarten, while his parents had also signed him up for weekend tennis lessons. As he progressed to elementary school, he had to make a choice between the two sports. He ultimately opted for tennis as he found the swimming teachers too strict, especially given their critical role in ensuring swimming safety. Zhang received coaching from Shao Donglu (邵东路) from 2008 to 2013. However, in December 2015, he sustained a bone fracture in his left foot while running in a park, which required surgery two months later. This injury had a significant impact on his performance, causing his form to drop considerably until May 2017. In 2016, Zhang signed with Croatian tennis agent Ivan Ljubicic and has since made Lošinj Island, Croatia, his main residence. In June 2022, Zhang graduated with a degree in human resources management from Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
Zhizhen Zhang Tennis Career
- Zhizhen Zhang began his professional tennis career on the ITF Futures Tour in 2012, playing in Chico, California. Although he lost his first match to Jason Jung, he won his first professional match against Daniel Yoo at the Joplin Futures tournament before losing to unranked American Gonzales Austin. Zhang participated in two more Futures tournaments but lost in the first round. In the same year, he was given a wild card entry into the qualifying draw of the 2012 Shanghai Rolex Masters, where he lost to Brian Baker.
- Zhang took a six-month break before making his ITF Men’s Circuit debut in May 2013 at the USA F12 challenger, where he lost to Greg Ouellette. He participated sporadically in professional events, making his first ATP Challenger Tour appearance at the 2013 Shanghai Challenger and finishing the year with just thirteen senior-level event participations, including a quarterfinal showing at a Futures tournament in Cyprus.
- In 2015, Zhizhen Zhang won his first ITF World Tennis Tour title at the Mont-de-Marsan Futures tournament in June, after struggling to maintain consistent form in the opening months of the year. Zhang’s second final of the year came just three weeks later in Bourg-en-Bresse, where he continued to prove himself as a force to be reckoned with on French soil. These positive results on the ITF Men’s Circuit saw Zhang begin entering tournaments on the 2015 ATP Challenger Tour.
- Despite struggling initially, he eventually made his ATP tour debut at the 2015 Shenzhen Open, where he defeated Go Soeda in straight sets before losing to Jiří Veselý. He also participated in the qualifying rounds of both the Beijing Open and the Shanghai Masters but was unable to progress to the main draws of either event. He finished the year with early losses in a few Challenger tournaments, having made notable progress in his career.
- In 2016, Zhizhen Zhang had an inexplicable four-month absence from the ATP World Tour, and when he returned, he struggled to maintain form on the 2016 ITF Men’s Circuit. Despite participating in both a 2016 ATP Challenger Tour event and the qualifying draw of the ATP Tour 250 tournament in Nice, the Open de Nice, where he lost a third set tiebreaker to Daniil Medvedev in the second round of qualifying, Zhang failed to progress beyond the first or second round of every tournament he played in, except for a quarterfinal at the Futures level. As a result, Zhang finished the year outside the top 800, a considerable drop of four-hundred ranking places from the previous year.
- In 2017, Zhang made significant progress in his tennis career, winning two Futures titles and finishing runner-up in another. He also reached the quarterfinals of the ATP Tour event in Shenzhen as a qualifier, beating world No. 39 Paolo Lorenzi en route. Zhang finished the year ranked inside the top 350.
- In the year 2018, Zhang continued to make strides, reaching the semifinals of an ATP Challenger event and achieving a career-high ranking of 223 in July. However, he was plagued by injuries and had to retire against Andy Murray in the Shenzhen Open.
- Zhang, in 2019, won two ATP Challenger titles, became China’s No. 1 player, and made his debut in the top 150. He also reached the second round of both the Zhuhai Championships and the China Open, where he lost to eventual champion Dominic Thiem. Zhang finished the year with a career-high year-end ranking of 138.
- In 2020 and 2021, Zhang did not play many matches due to the coronavirus pandemic and injuries. However, he did have some notable performances during this time. In 2021, he reached the semifinals at the Biella Challenger Indoor and qualified for the main draw of the Wimbledon Championships, becoming the first male Chinese player to do so in the Open Era. He was forced to retire from his match in Hamburg due to injury and ended the year ranked outside of the top three hundred.
- In 2022, Zhang Ze made significant progress in his tennis career, starting with his first quarterfinal appearance at any level in the San Luis Potosi Challenger in April. He then went on to make it to the last four in the 2022 Tallahassee Tennis Challenger, followed by three Challenger quarterfinals in a row.
- Zhang’s remarkable performance continued with a finalist appearance in the 2022 Platzmann-Sauerland Open and semifinals in Braunschweig. He reached two Challenger finals in the Internazionali di Tennis Città di Trieste and the Internazionali di Tennis del Friuli Venezia Giulia in Cordenons, where he won his first Challenger title in nearly three years. His outstanding performance elevated his ranking to No. 138, placing him within two spots of his career-high ranking.
- Zhang’s debut at the US Open made history for his country, as he qualified for the main draw alongside his friend Yibing Wu, narrowly missing the chance to be the first Chinese male national to win a major main draw match in 63 years after losing to Tim van Rijthoven, failing to convert seven match points in the third set. He then qualified for the 2022 Astana Open and defeated Aslan Karatsev for his second ATP 500-level win.
- Zhang reached a new career-high ranking of No. 110 on 10 October 2022, becoming the first Chinese male player in the Open era to reach the top 100. He also reached his first ATP Tour-level quarterfinal for the season and first, since 2017 at Naples, beating Márton Fucsovics and sixth seed Sebastián Báez in straight sets.
- In 2023, at the Mutua Madrid Open, Zhang Ze achieved several milestones in his career. He secured his first Master’s win over Jurij Rodionov and followed it up with his first top-30 win against Denis Shapovalov, making it to the third round of a Masters tournament for the first time. He then stunned world No. 13 and eleventh seed Cameron Norrie for his first top-20 win and reached the fourth round. In a historic win, he saved three match points to defeat eighth seed Taylor Fritz, becoming the first Chinese man ever to reach the quarterfinals at a Masters event. Zhang eventually lost to Aslan Karatsev in the quarterfinals in straight sets, but his remarkable run saw him rise to a career-high ranking and become a trailblazer for Chinese tennis.
Who is Zhang Zhizhen’s wife?
According to tennistalky.com, Zhang Zhizhen is married, although the name of his wife is unknown. It may come as a surprise, but the 26-year-old Chinese tennis player is indeed married. Previously, the couple had to postpone their marriage due to Zhang’s commitment to his tennis career and playing on the ATP Challenger Tour. His wife is a Chinese citizen and resides in Shanghai, China. The couple does not have any children, and his wife is a full-time housewife. She played tennis during her childhood, but her current occupation is unknown. The duo is enjoying their present life a lot without any disturbances. His sexual orientaiton is straight.
What is Zhang Zhizhen’s net worth?
Zhang Zhizhen’s estimated net worth in 2023 is $1 million, mainly from his successful professional tennis career. As of 2023, he has earned a total of $782,971 in prize money from participating in various tournaments around the world. In addition to his earnings from tennis, his wealth also includes revenue from sponsorships, enterprises, and marketing. His notable endorsement deals with companies such as Nike, Wilson, and Red Bull have contributed significantly to his net worth. These endorsements are essential not only for athletes’ financial stability but also for their personal brand recognition.
Zhang is living a comfortable lifestyle, thanks to his lucrative career and endorsements. His partnerships with Nike and Babolat are some of his current endorsements. These deals allow him to earn a considerable amount of money while promoting their products. These endorsements are essential for Zhang’s financial stability, allowing him to focus on his tennis career without worrying about financial constraints.
How tall is Zhang Zhizhen?
Zhang Zhizhen is a strikingly handsome man with distinctly Asian features. He stands tall at 1.93 meters and has an athletic build with a weight of 87 kilograms. His dark brown hair and brown eyes complement his charming demeanor. With his impressive physical attributes, it’s no wonder that he has gained quite a following in the tennis world. However, Zhang Zhizhen’s appeal goes beyond just his looks. He is also a talented tennis player who has been making waves in the sport. He has a strong backhand and has demonstrated an ability to handle high-pressure situations on the court. With his good looks and skill, Zhang Zhizhen is definitely a rising star to watch out for in the tennis world.
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