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SCMP Sport

Chinese tennis star Wu Yibing faces Novak Djokovic for the first time in his professional career in the first round of the men’s singles at Wimbledon on Monday, and said it was a “dream come true”.
In what will be only his second appearance at the grass court grand slam, Wu will play against his idol, a seven-time champion in London, and said he “could not believe it” when the draw was made.
The encounter will also mark just the second time Wu has played on the centre court at a major tournament.
“To play Djokovic here on Centre Court at Wimbledon is the dream of many players, including mine,” Wu said. “For me, he is the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) of tennis, and I can’t wait.”
Wu’s previous experience of playing on the biggest stage was at the US Open in 2022, when he lost 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 to defending champion Daniil Medvedev in the third round in Arthur Ashe Stadium, having navigated the qualifiers, and two main draw matches on his debut at a grand slam.

“I am just looking forward to it all,” the 26-year-old added. “The chance to play on Centre Court and against Djokovic after all the things he has achieved in his career and in his life is incredible.
“He is a role model for all of the tennis players. For me, Djokovic is one of the most all-round players ever in history and an idol, and I am just very excited to face him here.
“He is near the end of his career, and you won’t get that many chances to face him again, so I was happy the draw was like this, and I will try my best to bring all the energy and really enjoy the match and the experience.”
Despite never playing against the Serbian previously, Wu revealed he had spent time training with Djokovic in Monaco when he was 18, something he said had been “good for my development”.
While Wu is the only Chinese player in the men’s singles draw at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club this summer, Zheng Qinwen is one of three of his compatriots in the women’s event.
Having returned from injury and suffered a dip in form, Paris Olympic gold medallist Zheng now ranks No 138 in the world, a free fall from her career-best No 4 only a year ago.
The 23-year-old from Hubei will face her nemesis, Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic, in the opening round, looking to bounce back from a 3-1 career deficit, which included a pair of first-round losses at Wimbledon in 2023 and 2025, against the world No 36.
“I wouldn’t say I was surprised; it was more like fate had arranged it all for me,” said Zheng. “This was my third time facing her at Wimbledon, and I felt like God was giving me another chance to see if I could beat her this time and play my best.
“It’s actually quite interesting. The draw lot is so large, and it’s always the same opponent. I’d suspect it’s a machine, because only a machine could be so precise, right? It’s simply impossible for a human to pull this off.”
A seeded player in her past three Wimbledon appearances, former Australian Open finalist Zheng has never got past the first hurdle, while her best result came in 2022, when she reached the third round.
“Katerina’s slice shot will definitely be very aggressive on grass, because grass bounces very low, and slice shots will have a better effect,” Zheng said. “The last time I played against her, it was difficult for me to read her serve.
“It was because she had a very strange way of tossing the ball, which may have made it difficult for me to judge the rhythm accurately. So this time I will definitely pay more attention to this.”
Fellow Chinese Zhang Shuai will play Canadian qualifier Bianca Andreescu on the opening day, while Wang Xinyu, who was also placed in the upper half of the draw as her compatriot, will take on Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto on another outer court.


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Tennis

Wu Yibing will face Novak Djokovic on Centre Court, while Zheng Qinwen has another chance to beat Katerina Siniakova in the first round


Wu Yibing will face Novak Djokovic on Centre Court, while Zheng Qinwen has another chance to beat Katerina Siniakova in the first round.


Wimbledon: Djokovic clash a ‘dream come true’ for Wu, Zheng hoping it’s third time lucky

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Wu Yibing will face Novak Djokovic on Centre Court, while Zheng Qinwen has another chance to beat Katerina Siniakova in the first round

Wu Yibing will face Novak Djokovic on Centre Court, while Zheng Qinwen has another chance to beat Katerina Siniakova in the first round