In a recent interview following the semi-finals of the 2024 China Tennis Open, wildcard entry Bu Yunchaokete reflected on his performance after a hard-fought match against top seed Jannik Sinner from Italy, which ended in a 0-2 loss (3-6, 6-7). Despite not making it to the finals, Bu highlighted that he achieved a personal milestone in the ATP tour.
Just last week in Hangzhou, the 22-year-old made history by reaching his first ATP250 semi-final. Building on that momentum at the China Open (ATP500), he delivered a remarkable performance. In the opening round, Bu faced fellow Chinese player Shang Juncheng, fresh off his Chengdu Open title victory, and emerged victorious. He then went on to defeat the tournament’s sixth seed, Lorenzo Musetti, and fourth seed, Andrey Rublev, making history as the first player from the Chinese Tennis Association to reach the men’s singles semifinals at the China Open.
Looking ahead to his semi-final match against world number one Sinner, Bu expressed enthusiasm for the challenge. “It’s always about competing, but playing against the world number one is something special. Sinner is an exceptional player who represents our generation. My focus is to enjoy the match and show my best self,” he said prior to the encounter.
During the semi-final, Sinner, displaying experience and confidence, quickly found his rhythm. In the first set, Bu created three break points but faced significant challenges, ultimately losing his serve to Sinner, who took the set 6-3. The second set was fiercely contested, with both players holding serve until they reached 6-6. However, Bu seemed to struggle with fatigue during the tiebreak, which led to several errors and allowed Sinner to close out the match.
Though disappointed not to advance to the finals, Bu remains optimistic about his achievements at the China Open, particularly his victories over both Musetti and Rublev. He views 2024 as a breakthrough year, marking his first entry into a Grand Slam main draw, his debut in the ATP tour’s final four, his first win over a player ranked in the world’s top 10, and his debut in the top 70 of the ATP rankings.
Looking ahead, Bu has set his sights on competing in the Shanghai Masters, aiming to break into the top 50 in the world rankings.
