Australian Open: Eudice Chong ends Hong Kong’s 8-year tennis grand slam drought
- City will have player in qualifying for a major for first time since 2015, with Chong set to battle for place in Melbourne Park main draw
- ‘Being able to compete in the grand slams has always been my dream since turning professional, and I hope this is just the beginning,’ she says
After an eight-year absence, Hong Kong is back on the map when it comes to senior tennis grand slams, with Eudice Chong earning a spot in the Australian Open qualifiers.
After spending more than a year away from home to compete in a slew of competitions, the Hong Kong Tennis Association confirmed on Wednesday night the 26-year-old will battle for a place in the main draw at Melbourne Park next month.
Chong has flown to Canberra, Australia, for a ITF W60 (US$60,000) tournament next week, which will act as a warm-up for the first major of the new season.
Chong recently reached a career-high WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) ranking of No 214 in singles after a year of consistent performances, which have seen her reach two semi-finals and two quarter-finals at ITF W60 events in Canada and the United States in the last two months.
“It’s difficult to be away from home for more than a year. Before the pandemic, we normally go abroad for three to four weeks, then back home for a rest,” Chong, who returned to the city last month to focus on fitness training, said.
“Being able to compete in the grand slams has always been my dream and goal since turning professional [in mid-2018], and I hope this is just the beginning, that there will be more slams to come.”
The Hong Kong No 1’s road to Australia has been long and arduous, particularly since the onset of the pandemic, which forced her to spend nearly 18 months training at the Hong Kong Sports Institute, returning to the tour only last October with a ranking now outside the top 500, compared to No 370 in 2019.
The double World University Games bronze medallist enjoyed a strong start to her comeback, winning two titles and losing two finals at ITF W15 and W25 events – results which propelled her to No 306 in the world.
Chong credited her uptick in performance to her new Italian coach Pier Francesco Raestelli, whom she has worked with since May.
“He has helped me a lot,” she said. “He can see very detailed things that others miss. I can see my progress and the recent results tell.”
Hong Kong has only ever had a handful of players to make it to qualifying draws of grand slams. The most recent was Zhang Ling, a retired former city No 1 who lost in the first round of qualifying at the Australian Open in 2015.
“It’s an honour to be able to follow Zhang Ling, one of my former teammates and a good friend, into the slams,” Chong, who is also ranked No 156 in doubles, said.
“I’m in great shape and feel great, but I’m not going to put too much pressure on myself for my first grand slam. I just want to have fun and play my best.”
Zhang, who was eliminated in the qualification rounds of the 2011 French Open and US Open, as well as the 2012 and 2015 Australian Opens, said she was “really excited” to see Chong follow in her footsteps, and that the most important thing for Chong to do in Melbourne would be to relax and enjoy every match.
“I can tell physically and mentally it’s very difficult for the players to deal with when you’re not home for more than a year, but have competitions week after week,” Zhang said.
Hong Kong tennis chief Philip Mok Kwan-yat also hailed Chong for her “great achievement”.
“She has worked really hard this year,” Mok said. “I know all Hong Kong tennis fans will be supporting her to do well.”
