Zhang Zhizhen made history by becoming the first Chinese man to defeat a player ranked in the top five of the ATP rankings. He accomplished this feat by upsetting the No. 5 seed, Casper Ruud, at the 2022 US Open.
Zhang's victory over Ruud was a thrilling five-set match, with a final score of 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, 0-6, 6-2. This win marked Zhang's second five-set victory in the tournament, and it came after a series of losses in previous five-set matches.
Zhang remained determined and focused on his journey to success, emphasizing the importance of self-belief, especially during tough moments. He highlighted that maintaining confidence in oneself can lead to eventual success.
The 26-year-old Zhang made his mark in the tennis world by becoming the first Chinese man to compete in the main draw at Wimbledon in the professional era in 2021. He also qualified for the US Open last year, making history alongside Yibing Wu as the first men from China to reach the main draw of the year's final Grand Slam tournament.
Zhang's remarkable performance in 2022 is in contrast to his 2022 US Open experience, where he had squandered seven match points in his opening match before losing to Tim van Rijthoven in five sets.
Zhang's next challenge in the third round will be Rinky Hijikata of Australia.
Casper Ruud, the No. 5 seed and the 2022 US Open runner-up, acknowledged Zhang's exceptional play and recognized that Zhang will be a formidable player in the years to come. Ruud, who reached a career-high ranking of No. 2 last year, had faced Zhang after reaching the finals in three of the last six Grand Slam events. Despite his strong performance, he acknowledged that Zhang was the better player during crucial moments of the match.
Ruud's early exit from the tournament, along with the loss of No. 4 seed Holger Rune, marked the first time since 2006 that multiple men seeded in the top five had been eliminated before the third round of the US Open.
Ruud, who was also the runner-up at the French Open in 2022 and 2023, experienced a rare occurrence in tennis history. He became the first US Open finalist to lose in the first two rounds of the following year's tournament since Kei Nishikori in 2015. Nishikori had lost in the first round in 2015 after finishing as the runner-up in 2014.