How did Zhang Zhizhen and Wu Di "train" them? This immersive training camp is looking for excellent talents in tennis training | Tennis | Training Camp
These days, a group of special young athletes have arrived at the Shanghai tennis team base. They are aged from 11 to 14 years old and have formed a connection through tennis. They receive professional training here and participate in competitions of comparable level. The 2023 Yunix Tennis Youth Training Camp is held here, where 20 outstanding young tennis players from Shanghai and surrounding areas eat, stay, and train with their professional team members, participating in a unique professional training camp.
The teaching staff of this training camp are very strong. The training camp is led by Cao Xiaoying, the coach of the three time National Games singles champion Wu Di. Wu Di, who is the head coach of the Shanghai Jiushiwang team, Shao Donglu, the head coach of the men's team of the Shanghai Jiushiwang team, and Hao Lei, the physical fitness coach, are all the coaches of this training camp.
Cao Yunhua, vice president and secretary-general of Shanghai Tennis Association, said that with the participation of senior coaches, this activity has brought cutting-edge technical and tactical concepts and tennis thinking to tennis teenagers, which has brought great help to the improvement of tennis.
It is understood that the young athletes who can participate in this training camp are also outstanding in various age groups, and after careful selection and comprehensive consideration, they can enter the final training camp. 11 year old Li Zhijinghan is the youngest player in this training camp. She has been studying tennis for 6 years since graduating from primary school this year, and she usually maintains a daily practice intensity. In the recent 2023 "Road to Masters" Youth Tennis Points Series, she achieved a good result of third place. This time, she came to Shanghai Jiushi Tennis Team to participate in a training camp, which was also her first time participating in an independent camp.
"She is very excited to be able to participate in training with a professional team, live in the Shanghai team's dormitory, eat in the Shanghai team's cafeteria, and train with professional athletes. Moreover, this is the place where her idol Zhang Zhizhen grew up, so she particularly yearns for it." Li Zhijinghan's father, Li Meng, comes here every day to see her daughter participate in training camps. Although the scorching heat was unbearable, seeing the sunny smile on his daughter's face, he felt it was very worthwhile. "The coaches at the training camp are particularly professional, and the teammates are also excellent players who have been selected layer by layer. Those of the same age can train and play games together, and the rewards are very great."
This training camp is also part of the overall plan of the Unix National Tennis Training Camp. As one of the 20 sub training camps, athletes who perform well in this training camp will have the opportunity to participate in the national tennis training camp, receive more professional and all-round guidance, and have the opportunity to realize their dream of becoming a professional tennis player. After a few days of training and competition, the performance of Shanghai athletes impressed Cao Xiaoying. He said, "The performance of the 12 year old group of students is particularly outstanding. For example, male players Wu Yuting, Lou Yitian, and He Xiande in the group take turns winning the national U12 year old group singles competition, female player Shi Youwen is among the top three in the national U12 year old group singles competition, and doubles is at the level of the champion and runner up, with a very high level."
As the host of this training camp, Li Yao, the general manager of the Shanghai Jiushiwang team, said that such a youth training camp can be placed in a professional team, which also gives the team a chance to select good candidates. "These are a group of children with dreams, and we hope to provide them with a platform to come to our cradle of cultivating tennis elites and see how Zhang Zhizhen and Wu Di trained and grew. Others see the joy of winning, but behind it, there is year after year, day after day of hard training. Come here to experience firsthand whether they can continue this path in the future, and they will have a more direct understanding."
Li Yao said that if these children are willing, the team will invite them to participate in training with the team under professional evaluation. "Shanghai tennis needs more youth training camps like this. Currently, all 16 districts in Shanghai have their own tennis teams with over 2000 registered players, and there are 52 tennis characteristic schools in the city. The development of tennis is very good. With the expansion of the tower, there will be more and more outstanding athletes at the top in the future. Such training camps can allow young athletes with comparable skills to compete with each other, and we will be paired with the best coaches. We believe that Zhang Zhizhen and Wu Di will continue to emerge in the future."
