Buyunchaokete is one of several Chinese tennis players on the rise. This time last year, the Xinjiang native, who goes by just one name, was No. 342 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. He won six ITF World Tennis Tour events in 2022 and has since enjoyed more playing opportunities on the ATP Challenger Tour.
The 21-year-old, who is now World No. 187, is set to make the next big step in his rapid rise: playing his first ATP Tour event at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.
“I feel great. It’s really near to my home. My first time playing ATP in China, it feels amazing,” Buyunchaokete said. “I feel really excited and I don’t feel much pressure. I just want to enjoy it here.”
The wild card Buyunchaokete has found success on the ATP Challenger Tour this season, reaching three semi-finals, including a title run in April in Seoul. “That feeling was just so special,” he stated.
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When Buyunchaokete triumphed in Seoul, he became the third Chinese player to win an ATP Challenger Tour title aged 21 and under. Wu Yibing (2017) and Shang Juncheng (2022) both did it aged 17.
Now based out of Alicante, Spain, where he trains at the Ferrero Tennis Academy, ‘Bu’ is relishing the opportunity to be back in China, where the home hope will meet Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic in the opening round.
“I’ve known him since I was 14 years old. I saw him win the [2016] Orange Bowl, he beat [Wu Yibing] in the final,” Buyunchaokete said. “After juniors, I saw him in the Top 100 in one or two years. He’s a really good guy, tough guy. I just want to play my best tennis against a Top 50 guy, it’s really tough.”
The lone Top 50 opponent ‘Bu’ has played is Andy Murray, whom he pushed to two tight sets at this year’s Surbiton Challenger. The three-time major champion had kind remarks about ‘Bu’ following their clash.
“He’s a high energy, positive guy. If you look at results from last year, I think he played more than 100 matches last year, which is pretty rare,” Murray said in June. “I think he’s going to be a good player.”
Boasting a 19-14 season record on the ATP Challenger Tour, Buyunchaokete will now aim for a maiden victory at tour-level on Wednesday. Should he advance, he will meet 26th seed Sebastian Korda in the second round.
Did You Know?
Buyunchaokete is one of four Chinese men in the Rolex Shanghai Masters draw, alongside Zhang Zhizhen, Shang Juncheng, and Te Rigele.