By defeating former champion Jiske Griffioen, Wang Ziying made wheelchair tennis history by becoming the first player from China, P.R. to reach the semi-finals at Wimbledon.  

Wang defeated Griffioen 7-5 2-6 6-3 and will now face world No. 1 Diede de Groot, who is bidding to claim her 15th consecutive Grand Slam title, for a place in the women’s singles final. 

It has been an uplifting few days for Wang given she only made her Grand Slam debut at Roland Garros last month, while today’s showdown was just her third career outing on grass.  

“I will go out there against Diede and play freely,” Wang told itftennis.com. “To be honest, the fact that I am able to compete at Grand Slams, I’m already very happy.  

“In terms of the result, I will try my best and give it my all on court. Irrespective of whether I win or lose, I will learn a lot. But, like I say, I am already very proud of what I have achieved here.  

“It was not an easy win today because my opponent was playing really well. It’s my first Grand Slam playing on grass, so there are still things I am not used to. Her slice was very good, and it was a battle.  

“I find it difficult to push the wheelchair on grass, but I am enjoying it here. I really like the colour green, so I like playing on grass. I am feeling happy and excited after what I achieved today.” 

Wang’s already impressive performance at Wimbledon continues the wider power surge of Chinese players within wheelchair tennis. For the first time in Grand Slam history and here at Wimbledon, there are four Chinese players – Guo Luoyao Li Xiaohui, Wang Ziying and Zhu Zhenzhen – within a wheelchair tennis draw.  

It was also China’s Li Xiaohui who ended De Groot’s astonishing 145-match winning streak in such impressive fashion at May’s BNP Paribas World Team Cup.  

“At the start, we did not know there were ITF wheelchair competitions,” said the 25-year-old. “When Zhu Zhenzhen started competing globally, other Chinese players were curious to learn about wheelchair tennis. 

“We are all passionate about tennis in general and, as a result, more and more Chinese players have been competing globally.” 

Talk of Paris 2024 and the Paralympic Games is fast approaching the forefront of minds, with the Wheelchair Tennis Event getting underway in the French capital on 30 August.  

The clay courts of Roland Garros will play host to the next chapter of Paralympic wheelchair tennis as the finest exponents of their craft gather in Paris, primed to showcase their talent on the biggest of stages. 

Never before has a Paralympic Wheelchair Tennis Event been held at a Grand Slam venue, while it will be only the second held on clay. Wang is locked and loaded for the gold rush.  

“I’m looking forward to it,” added Wang. “There will be some adjustments needed to ensure the change from grass to clay. I competed at Roland Garros before, so I know clay bounces differently.  

“When I return to China for practice for the Paralympics, there will certainly be some challenges I will need to overcome because we basically don’t ever practice on clay or grass in China.  

“I’ll try to communicate with my coach how to practice most effectively for the Paralympics, but I am looking forward to it. I cannot wait.” 

A full list of results from the wheelchair tennis events at Wimbledon can be viewed here.