History made as two Chinese men enter ATP top 50

Shang Juncheng hits a return during the men's singles round of 64 match against Carlos Alcaraz at the ATP Shanghai Masters on Oct. 5, 2024. (Xinhua/Wang Xiang)

Two Chinese players have entered top 50 in the ATP rankings for the first time.

BEIJING, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- Shang Juncheng and Zhang Zhizhen have made history for Chinese men's tennis by securing spots in the ATP top 50 rankings.

According to the latest ATP rankings released on Monday, 19-year-old Shang has broken into the top 50 for the first time, ranking 49th. Along with Zhang who currently sits 46th, this marks the first time two Chinese men's players have simultaneously been listed among the world's top 50.

During this year's China swing of the tour, Chinese men's players have delivered standout performances. Shang claimed his first tour-level title at the ATP 250 Chengdu Open. Zhang faced off against Buyunchaokete in an all-Chinese semifinal at the ATP 250 Hangzhou Open, with Zhang ultimately finishing as the runner-up. Buyunchaokete, ranked 73rd, also made headlines by reaching the semifinals of the ATP 500 China Open in Beijing, while Wu Yibing advanced to the round of 32 at the ATP 1000 Shanghai Masters.

Wang Xinyu in action during the women's singles semifinal against Zheng Qinwen at the 2024 Wuhan Open on Oct. 12, 2024. (Xinhua/Du Zixuan)

In women's tennis, Wang Xinyu's impressive run to the WTA 1000 Wuhan Open semifinals boosted her ranking by 12 places, putting her at 39th in the world.

Meanwhile, Zheng Qinwen, the runner-up in Wuhan, remains in seventh place. Yuan Yue is ranked 46th, Wang Yafan sits 60th, and Wang Xiyu rounds out the top 100 for Chinese players as she ranks 98th.