TEXT BY BWF
The SATHIO GROUP Australian Open win was special for Beiwen Zhang. It was her first title in five years; more significantly, it marked two years to the day when she suffered a serious Achilles injury at the Tokyo Olympics.
Having broken into the top 10 once again – her best ranking since August 2019 – Zhang has shown remarkable resilience. The 33-year-old has found form just ahead of the TotalEnergies BWF World Championships, and opponents will be wary. Excerpts from an interview:
What did winning the Australia Open mean to you?
I didn’t really think much. Because in previous tournaments, I wasn’t playing stable, so I didn’t expect to play stable in each match, and I didn’t expect to go to the final.
I was prepared for a hard game with Sindhu (quarterfinals) because normally our games are very close. I was surprised that I could beat her that easily. She just couldn’t control the shuttle.
Winning this tournament gave me a lot of confidence, it told me what’s worked over the last year. I can see myself getting better, getting back my level, and I can see from my videos that I’m moving smoothly on court. Starting from the All England, my speed looks different.
This was your first tournament win in five years — your last was the India Open in 2018. Did that make it special?
It was about luck. I was in finals a lot but I couldn’t win. Sometimes it was my condition – sometimes you just don’t have a good day. Maybe for the top five players, even if they have a bad day they can have a chance to win. But for me, I’m just not that stable.
You are back in the top 10. That’s a great achievement, considering the seriousness of the injury just two years ago.
Right now, my condition is better because I have a physio I’m sharing with the Chinese Taipei players. So I can play without serious injury. Last time when I was ranked No.9, I was getting injured all the time. In 2017 I played well some times, and then I had to withdraw from other tournaments due to injury, mostly to my calves.
I’m always positive. My physio asked me what I was thinking, but I didn’t really think so much; you can’t really do much in that moment. Just relax and do what you can in that moment. Because people will always worry abut the future. But I think God will tell me the way. I’m just doing my best every day. If it’s time to rest, I will rest. If it’s time to work, I will just go work. It’s better to think that way. My physio says most people worry a lot, and then they can’t move. They’re worried about this and that and they can’t move forward.
Considering how hard you’ve had to work as an independent player to get to where you have, you never felt you were unlucky about the injury?
Of course, for one or two days, you think ‘why me?’ But then you have to think that everyone’s starting point is the same, but the end result is different. You cannot compare yourself with others. It’s like the family in which you are born – you can’t choose your family.
Your life is different from others. If you compare yourself with other people, of course it will get you down. You have to think about what you have. You have to hold it and make it better.
You’re one of the few players who is back in the top 10 after such a serious injury…
(Carolina) Marin also.
I feel like Marin is so tough mentally, and is always inspiring me because I feel not so many people can do it. I feel she’s amazing. I also understand how hard it is for her. But she’s better than me because she has everything!
You’re currently training in Denmark. Does the World Championships in Copenhagen feel like a home event?
No… I’ve never played any tournaments in Copenhagen, apart from league matches, which are different.
Hopefully I won’t be like today. I was so tired today. Maybe I’m getting too relaxed. I have to get back into my competition mood.
What do you make of your draw?
I’m excited. I really want to play An Se Young. For me, all the tournaments are like practice, because I don’t have a high quality sparring partner, so if I get a good opponent, and if I can get something from my game, that’s good thing! I’m not afraid to lose.
I don’t set a goal. Every tournament is important for me, because I will retire after Olympics, so I’m looking to improve my level before I retire. I’m looking forward to playing An Se Young, because last year also I played her. I played pretty badly because my leg wasn’t active as it’s now, so I want to see the difference this time.
