Now that I've been reborn, I have to play tennis!

Chapter 68 Center of Public Opinion
For students about to enter their senior year of high school, it is impossible for them to have a complete summer vacation.

Typically, they need to return to school in mid-August.

When Meng Hao's classmates stepped into the school gate again, the first thing they saw was that very eye-catching banner.

"Warmest congratulations to our student Meng Hao for making history in Chinese men's tennis!"

Can you imagine? Just a few months ago, we were sitting in a classroom having a class.

Why do I suddenly feel like I've become someone from two different worlds?
With these mixed feelings, the students stepped into the campus.

For them, although the new semester has not officially started yet, the summer vacation is over and the "senior year of high school" has arrived.

However, when the students arrived at the classroom, they saw Meng Hao pushing a tennis cart while picking up balls with a ball retriever.

For the past month, except on rainy days, Meng Hao has come to the school playground to exercise almost without fail.

With special permission from the principal, Meng Hao was allowed to practice tennis on the school's tennis courts and run on the track and field.

Meng Hao also understands that if you keep playing matches, it's easy to get bored and fall into a period of fatigue. A proper balance between work and rest is the best approach.

He does have cheat codes, after all!
Bang!
Meng Hao's serve accurately hit the water bottle placed in the service area.

Just then, a beautiful figure walked over, bent down, and picked up the rolling tennis ball.

The person who came was none other than Shen Rongyu, the goddess-level academic star in the class.

"Meng Hao, I heard from my brother that you've been training at school for a month straight. In this sweltering heat, my brother doesn't even dare to be your sparring partner anymore!"

Meng Hao gazed at Shen Rongyu, whose fair and beautiful face was framed by a pair of sparkling, curious eyes.

"I have no choice! The real Chinese season starts next month, and I have to seize this opportunity, as it only comes once a year!"

"You told me before that you wanted to see what the world of professional tennis players is like? What do you think now?"

"It's busy, lonely, but also very free! But that's what I like; I belong there."

……

【费德勒2014年上海大师赛之旅】的第七次体验卡，是完成100个ACE球；第八次体验卡是完成30个制胜分；第九次体验卡是达成职业赛事的20胜；第十次体验卡是赢得5次抢七大战。

Meng Hao has achieved all of these goals through two consecutive challenge matches and qualifying rounds.

In addition, he had previously accumulated a sixth trial card, bringing his total to five trial opportunities.

Meng Hao didn't stand on ceremony and used all five of his chances.

After all, the "China season" will officially begin in September, and all the current tennis masters will be coming.

From the Shanghai Challenger to the Shanghai Masters!

Meng Hao knew very well that if he wanted to participate in the tour this year, there was only one opportunity—the Shanghai Challenge!

Because in the current "China season", there are only three ATP Tour-level tournaments.

These are the Shenzhen Open, the China Open, and the Shanghai Masters.

The first two tournaments already had limited draws and wildcards were scarce. Since he wasn't a national team player, didn't have a sports bureau background, didn't have an agency, and was ranked outside the top 300 in the world, the chances of getting a wildcard were extremely slim.

Of course, Meng Hao will definitely apply for it; whether or not it is granted is up to the organizing committee.

The wildcard for the Shanghai Masters is the only opportunity he can actively strive for; he only needs to become the best-performing local player in the Shanghai Challenger in September.

Therefore, these five opportunities to experience them are extremely valuable!

There were a total of ten opportunities to experience Federer's 2014 Shanghai Masters tour firsthand, and Meng Hao's goal was also to participate in the 2014 Shanghai Masters.

Perhaps this is fate!
After five experiences...

Hard court gliding +7, reaching 60
Serve +3, reaching 78
Forehand +5, reaching 85
+8 at the net, reaching 63
Steps +10, reaching 75
Tactics +5, reaching 70
Spirit +3, reaching 75
Upgrade capability +2%, reaching 10%.
Then, through this period of physical training, Meng Hao's physical fitness score reached 88 and his running ability reached 78.

At this moment, Meng Hao felt that he truly belonged on the tour.

……

In late August, the US Open, the last Grand Slam tennis tournament of the year, kicked off.

This was also a Grand Slam tournament full of upsets, with the final being Kei Nishikori versus Marin Cilic.

The Big Three, along with Murray, who was on the verge of becoming a Big Three, failed to reach the final.

Kei Nishikori, 25, and Marin Cilic, 26. Will this usher in a new era for professional tennis, or is this just another upset?

"The players from our neighboring country have already reached the Grand Slam finals, while where is our men's tennis team?"

"At this year's US Open, our Chinese male player Zhang Ze has reached the third round of qualifying, which is the best result ever achieved by a Chinese player at the US Open!"

"But it's not the comparisons that are scary, it's the comparisons that are scary. While there has been progress, compared to the lives of those next door, it's like comparing heaven and earth!"

The difference is too big!
Many media figures with a strong "public intellectual" flavor took the opportunity to launch a "fixed-body question".

Football is failing, basketball is starting to fail, and tennis seems to have never been successful either. Are we really only good at table tennis?

What? You say women's tennis is better? Women's tennis and men's tennis are completely different sports!
Besides, Li Na has already announced her retirement from the China Open this year, and she didn't even participate in this year's US Open.

"I dare say that after September this year, the popularity of tennis in China will definitely decline significantly!"

"Without superstars in charge, the tide will inevitably recede!"

There is no denying that the first golden age of Chinese tennis has indeed come to an end.

Meanwhile, tennis, which is in a quieter place next door, is about to enter its golden age.

Many tennis bloggers on Weibo also hold a pessimistic view of the future.

Decreased attention means less traffic, which will significantly impact revenue.

However, many fans were somewhat relieved that Kei Nishikori lost the final, being swept 3-0 by Cilic.

Throughout the series, Kei Nishikori has consistently upset his opponents in the rankings, but this time he was upset by Cilic. Perhaps this is just the nature of life for ordinary people.

……

Although he didn't have much hope, Meng Hao still applied for wildcards for three tournaments in one go.

Shenzhen Tour, China Open, and Shanghai Masters.

Reasons for application: Three Hope Tour titles, one Challenge Tour title (China's first title), and third place among domestic players.

At this moment, the US Open has just ended, and Meng Hao has arrived in Shanghai, China's largest metropolis, accompanied by his cousin Song Yu.

Meng Hao is currently ranked second among the substitutes in the Shanghai 100K Challenge.

In theory, if two players withdraw from the competition, he can qualify for the main tournament based on his ranking.

If he can't get in, he'll play in the qualifying rounds.

During this period, the sports bureaus of Guangdong, Shanghai, and Beijing all called to ask if Meng Hao would be willing to represent their provinces or cities in the National Games.

The deadline for confirming wildcard applications is fast approaching.

As a top-tier 500 tournament, the China Open has a limited number of draws and very limited spots.

Therefore, the other party requires that the team play in the Davis Cup team competition for two consecutive years and then join the Yanjing team before they might give them a wildcard next year.

The assignments have already been made this year!

The Guangdong team came to confirm one last time: as long as you agree to join the provincial team, they will immediately give you a wildcard for this year's main competition.

The Shanghai organizers promised to give a qualifying wildcard for the Shanghai Masters this year and a main draw wildcard next year.

After all, this is a Masters wildcard, and Wu Di, as a member of the Shanghai team, already has one, while Zhang Ze, as the top player, also has one. There simply aren't enough to go around.

Faced with the enthusiastic invitations from the three companies, Meng Hao did not wait for the best bidder to compete with them. Instead, he chose to be very honest and tell them one by one: "I also want to participate in the National Games, but the timing of the National Games in three years will conflict with the year-end finals."

This was the second time that people in Guangdong had heard Meng Hao say this, while it was the first time that people in Beijing and Shanghai had heard each other say this.

But everyone's consensus was that if this person wasn't joking, then he must have a problem with his understanding and an unrealistic overestimation of his own abilities.

"Send this message to the media!"

"Let the whole internet laugh at this guy's overestimation of his abilities!"

Soon, "Tennis player Meng Hao's reason for refusing to play in the National Games" became a trending topic on Weibo and major portal websites.

……

(End of this chapter)