Wang Xinyu: The French Open is my favorite Grand Slam, and I'm getting more and more comfortable on clay

On May 24, local time, Chinese player Wang Xinyu attended the pre-match press conference of the French Open, talking about the outlook of the game and his special feelings for the French Open.

Wang Xinyu pre-game training

According to the draw arrangement, Wang's first-round opponent is former US Open champion Raducanu, and the two have only met once in Linz 2021, when Wang won in three sets. Looking ahead to the first meeting between the two on clay, China's Jinhua said: "I remember the last time I played Raducanu very, very close, it should be one of the matches I played very well, she has a strong ability to change lines, and she has been in very good form in the last few clay matches, so I have to prepare all and give it my all." ”

While clay isn't Wang's favourite venue, she has always considered the French Open her favourite Grand Slam: "A lot of good memories of her tennis career have happened here, including her first breakthrough at a Grand Slam (reaching the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time in 2023), winning the doubles title here, and winning a silver medal last year when she had no plans to play in the mixed doubles. There is a lot of European and Asian food in Paris, and I also like the chill and laid-back feel of France. ”

"The most amazing thing is that I feel more and more comfortable on clay now, and I don't think like I did in the previous two years, 'It's okay, it's going to be over anyway.' Maybe because my ball is more well-rounded now and I've learned more in the past two years, I've improved a lot in terms of technique, including moving and sliding steps. ”

"I used to say that my favorite Grand Slam was the French Open, and at that time everyone didn't understand it because I still played very poorly on clay, and the French were more casual, not because the atmosphere was the best choice here, but I just felt that I liked it very much, liked the atmosphere here, the facilities next to the venue, and I was very happy to come back here."

Wang Xinyu admits that she is not a very competitive person by nature, and when it comes to how to mobilize her state to win and compete with her opponents in the ring, she replied: "I think this point may be different for everyone, there are some people like Xiaode, you may see that he likes to find some negative emotions, such as who in his box did what, and then he let who go, or quarrel with the referee. They do these things that seem negative on the surface, but I think they're getting rid of their emotions. Of course, there are also some players who can give themselves the ability just by encouraging themselves and saying cheers. I think I'm probably a little bit more like the former, but sometimes I go to find something that makes me angry, and I let out my tension, and I feel more relaxed. ”

(Text, Editor/Faye Wong, Photo/Li Jianyi)