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How tennis became Buyunchaokete's life

23-year-old reflects on his journey to becoming one of China's biggest ATP Tour stars
March 07, 2025
Buyunchaokete has a career high of No. 65 in the PIF ATP Rankings.
Peter Staples/ATP Tour
Buyunchaokete has a career high of No. 65 in the PIF ATP Rankings. By Andrew Eichenholz

When Buyunchaokete was young, a coach would visit his class to put the kids through physical activities like running and jumping.

“Then he just told me I need to try tennis and then I did,” Buyunchaokete told ATPTour.com. “I tried it and then it started [to be] my life.”

Now 23, ‘Bu’ has climbed as high as No. 65 in the PIF ATP Rankings despite not turning professional until age 20. The Xinjiang-born player began taking the sport seriously in his early teens, when he started to travel outside of China. At that point, Bu’s love of the sport came to the forefront.

It All Adds Up

Bu played tennis at school as a kid. Around the age of 14, he began doing a full day at school and a half day practising tennis. Within the next couple of years, tennis became more of a priority. With some good junior results, Bu went to Spain to practise by 16.

“I thought I loved it and everything came easy. Around Europe, you have a lot of tennis, a lot of tournaments,” Buyunchaokete said. “Even after becoming a professional, I still go there and I love it. It’s really easy for me.”

Bu is based in Alicante, where Carlos Alcaraz has famously trained at Juan Carlos Ferrero's academy. The Chinese player's coach, Spaniard Ricardo Ojeda Lara, reached a career-high World No. 171.

BuyunchaoketeBuyunchaokete at the 2025 BNP Paribas Open. Photo: Andrew Eichenholz/ATP Tour

The Chinese player’s first goal was to crack the Top 100. During Bu’s formative years, no man from his country had broken into the elite group. Now there are four: Buyunchaokete, Zhang Zhizhen, Wu Yibing and Shang Juncheng.

“Before I was 18 or 20, our country never had a man inside the Top 100 in history. We just broke this three years ago,” Buyunchaokete said. “Of course, in my whole career, my coach, myself, everybody around me, wanted to have a Top 100 [ranking]. It was a big one, my dream.”

Buyunchaokete added: “When you get Top 100, of course you feel happy, and then all the little kids from China start watching more tennis. I think that’s a good thing.”

Last year’s Beijing and Hangzhou semi-finalist has learned a lot while spending time in Spain, even if that development has not necessarily come off court.

“Even right now, I speak really bad Spanish,” Buyunchaokete said, cracking a laugh. “I like the Spanish style of tennis. I also really enjoy Spain. And I also [have] a good coach there, so it’s really easy for me.”

It is fitting that Buyunchaokete’s favourite player is former World No. 1 Andy Murray, who also spent time in Spain.

“I like that he never gave up. Even though he lost many Grand Slam finals, he always believed he could win a Grand Slam,” Buyunchaokete said. “I like his style of tennis. I also like [his personality]. I played against him in 2023. I just loved it. It was super exciting.”

A fan of coffee and keeping to himself, Buyunchaokete explained: “Normally I like to stay alone, I love [when it’s] quieter. It’s easier to speak with myself, a lot deeper. That gives me more energy and more focus on my tennis, on my life.”

Buyunchaokete will need to be completely focussed when he takes on former World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev in the second round at Indian Wells. It will be their first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting and a chance for Bu to earn his second victory against a Top 10 opponent following his triumph against Andrey Rublev last year in Beijing.

Regardless of the result, this is just another step in Bu’s journey.

“I hope I can be in the Top 50,” Buyunchaokete said. “I don’t want to think too much. I’m just focused on my job every single day, so I just believe that the results will come if I work really good.”

 

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