Zheng, going it alone, misses the camaraderie
Source: Agencies |
January 23, 2010, Saturday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
AS one of the few top Chinese athletes to break from the national tennis federation, Zheng Jie has had to get used to life without the government's mollycoddling hand.
A year ago, Zheng joined colleagues Li Na, Yan Zi and Peng Shuai and quit the national system and its gruelling regime of training camps that can span weeks and months.
The benefit was an immediate pay-rise -- she gets to keep as much as 92 percent of her earnings after formerly having to part with about two-thirds of them. Previously, however, all the travel and training expenses were taken care off by the state.
The cost has been the loss of camaraderie and the benefits and perks. "In the first year of managing myself, I feel it's been pretty good," the petite 26-year-old, who upset French 11th seed Marion Bartoli 5-7, 6-3, 6-0 to reach the fourth round of the Australian Open yesterday.
"Before I had always been a part of the national team. I was quite used to this support. But now -- and it's not just me, it's also Li Na, Yan Zi, Peng Shuai -- we have to manage our own issues and our own teams."
Zheng's surprise semifinal appearance at Wimbledon in 2008 made her the first Chinese to reach the last four of a grand slam, and since leaving the national federation, she became her country's first to break into the world's top 15.
China's tennis chief Sun Jinfang recently suggested Zheng, whose ranking has dipped to 35, might be better off back inside the system like other "less talented and more hardworking players."
Zheng is unlikely to heed the advice. "The best thing about managing myself is that when I go back to China, I can train at home with my friends and family around me," she said. "Before you had to train with the national team and you couldn't go home."
Zheng, who made a name for herself by winning the 2006 Wimbledon and Australian Open doubles titles with partner Yan Zi, does miss the "lively team environment," though.
"That feeling of seeing so many players practicing together... It wasn't just on tour, we'd be together everywhere. We'd be staying at the same hotels, booking the same planes, going out together.
"Now sometimes when I'm training, I have my own team watching me, and I'm wondering 'why are they just watching, why don't they play with me?'"
Zheng, who numbers her husband among three specialist coaches, has enjoyed plenty of support at Melbourne Park, where last year she was forced to retire in the fourth round due to injury. Chinese fans draped in national flags cheered boisterously as she came back to beat Bartoli and excitement at home should reach fever pitch should she knock out Ukrainian 31st seed Alona Bondarenko to make the quarters.
A year ago, Zheng joined colleagues Li Na, Yan Zi and Peng Shuai and quit the national system and its gruelling regime of training camps that can span weeks and months.
The benefit was an immediate pay-rise -- she gets to keep as much as 92 percent of her earnings after formerly having to part with about two-thirds of them. Previously, however, all the travel and training expenses were taken care off by the state.
The cost has been the loss of camaraderie and the benefits and perks. "In the first year of managing myself, I feel it's been pretty good," the petite 26-year-old, who upset French 11th seed Marion Bartoli 5-7, 6-3, 6-0 to reach the fourth round of the Australian Open yesterday.
"Before I had always been a part of the national team. I was quite used to this support. But now -- and it's not just me, it's also Li Na, Yan Zi, Peng Shuai -- we have to manage our own issues and our own teams."
Zheng's surprise semifinal appearance at Wimbledon in 2008 made her the first Chinese to reach the last four of a grand slam, and since leaving the national federation, she became her country's first to break into the world's top 15.
China's tennis chief Sun Jinfang recently suggested Zheng, whose ranking has dipped to 35, might be better off back inside the system like other "less talented and more hardworking players."
Zheng is unlikely to heed the advice. "The best thing about managing myself is that when I go back to China, I can train at home with my friends and family around me," she said. "Before you had to train with the national team and you couldn't go home."
Zheng, who made a name for herself by winning the 2006 Wimbledon and Australian Open doubles titles with partner Yan Zi, does miss the "lively team environment," though.
"That feeling of seeing so many players practicing together... It wasn't just on tour, we'd be together everywhere. We'd be staying at the same hotels, booking the same planes, going out together.
"Now sometimes when I'm training, I have my own team watching me, and I'm wondering 'why are they just watching, why don't they play with me?'"
Zheng, who numbers her husband among three specialist coaches, has enjoyed plenty of support at Melbourne Park, where last year she was forced to retire in the fourth round due to injury. Chinese fans draped in national flags cheered boisterously as she came back to beat Bartoli and excitement at home should reach fever pitch should she knock out Ukrainian 31st seed Alona Bondarenko to make the quarters.
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