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

Chapter 52: Choosing a match is also an art.

The next morning, it was still barely dawn.

The blinding sunlight was already streaming in through the glass.

Meng Hao touched the green tennis ball and slept soundly, feeling refreshed.

After waking up, he stretched and felt refreshed.

As is customary, Meng Hao will ask Shen Dongguo to go to the tennis courts at Donghai No. 2 Middle School to practice today.

He practically treated that "first amateur tennis player" as his sparring partner.

At school, there are very few people playing tennis, unlike the basketball courts which are always packed.

So that tennis court, fully equipped, was basically booked by him alone.

Even though that Swiss coach loves playing tennis, he wouldn't go looking for trouble by humiliating himself.

"Huh?" Meng Hao opened his Meizu phone and his pupils contracted slightly.

In just one night, his Weibo followers exceeded 1000.

Keep in mind that this was 2014. Douyin hadn't appeared yet, Xiaohongshu hadn't become popular, and Weibo was still the most popular social media platform in China, with an extremely large number of users, almost all of whom were real people.

This is unlike several years later, when it's all marketing accounts, online trolls, and boxers; there aren't many real people around.

"Could it be because of the Weibo post I made yesterday?" Meng Hao suddenly remembered this.

He clicked on the Weibo post, and his brow twitched, revealing a look of surprise.

In just one night, his Weibo post received over 300 comments.

Is it really that lively?

Meng Hao opened the comments and glanced at them briefly.

The comments from netizens were varied and bizarre.

Some admired his courage and ambition, while others criticized him for boasting and being ignorant of his own limitations.

Of course, some people think that Meng Hao is scheming and said these words to deliberately attract attention and gain fans.

It seems to be working well now.

Meng Hao had an idea, and then randomly clicked on a few tennis bloggers on Weibo.

Sure enough, those guys had already followed him immediately and even retweeted the Weibo post he made last night.

Those guys probably think they can bring them traffic and attention.

Meng Hao didn't say anything, but as agreed, he posted a promotional Weibo post for the "Baobaoli" tennis racket, and then put away his phone.

Then he went downstairs and started jogging, ostensibly to "improve his physical fitness."

After running about 3 kilometers, Meng Hao decided to have breakfast at a breakfast shop near Donghai No. 2 Middle School.

As luck would have it, he ran into Shen Rongyu and her cousin Shen Dongguo, who was carrying a tennis racket.

Shen Dongguo is currently in the second semester of his senior year. Since he doesn't have classes, he spends all his time playing basketball on the court.

He would rather be Meng Hao's sparring partner than go for an internship or look for a job.

"With my near-5.0 level, why would I work for someone else? I'd rather be a tennis coach and earn some extra money than work for someone else!" Shen Dongguo emphasized this more than once.

After entering the store, Meng Hao greeted the cousins, his gaze inadvertently sweeping over Shen Rongyu.

"When is your next match? What are your plans?" Shen Dongguo asked, crossing his legs. "Would you like me, the expert, to help you plan?"

"It's the French Open now, so I'm taking a short break," Meng Hao said, pointing to the sky. "The weather is getting hotter and hotter, and most of the matches are at noon, which is quite grueling!"

Shen Dongguo nodded in deep agreement.

"Actually, what I admire most about professional tennis players is that they often play under the scorching sun at midday."

"If it were me, I really couldn't handle it and would have to hide in the tennis court!"

Meng Hao frowned slightly and continued, "I checked the recent schedule, and it really feels like I don't know where to start." There were no tennis tournaments scheduled in China throughout June.

As for the surrounding areas, there are a few stops in Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asia.

Meng Hao is a minor. Although he can get a passport, it will be a blank passport, making it difficult for him to go to Japan and South Korea. Southeast Asia should be fine, but he is worried about his kidneys.

Globally, the professional tennis tour is currently in the transition from the clay court season to the grass court season, which is still too far away for Meng Hao.

“I won’t be participating in the Hope Tournament for the time being!” Meng Hao said slowly. “There’s a 50K challenge in Guangzhou in early July, and a 75K challenge in Jinan in mid-July.”

"I applied to both events, and I registered for both the main draw and the qualifying rounds together. As you know, the registration deadline for both tour events and challenger events is six weeks before the start of the competition!"

"I can only register first, and then decide whether to participate depending on the situation."

That's how tennis tournaments work; you can register for several tournaments at once and then selectively withdraw from some.

Upon hearing this, Shen Rongyu glanced curiously at Meng Hao and blinked her bright eyes.

Although she was a top student, she didn't understand the intricacies of the situation.

"You've registered for everything? You definitely won't make it into the main competition, but the qualifying rounds shouldn't be a problem!" Shen Dongguo nodded. "However, if the organizing committee is willing to give you a wildcard, that's a different story."

Many foreign players ranked 400-500 in the world are unwilling to travel thousands of miles to China just to play a few qualifying matches and then leave immediately, as the cost is too high.

This can be considered a bargain for Meng Hao.

“Based on my experience… I suggest you focus on the Guangzhou challenge and consider the Jinan event as a backup.” Shen Dongguo’s words made Meng Hao’s eyes widen.

Because this is contrary to his plan.

Guangzhou and Jinan are located in the south and the north, respectively, and are far apart, while the competitions are held in close succession.

Even though I have that green tennis ball that can help me sleep soundly and relieve fatigue, I am still just a human being, not a robot.

and also……

“Brother Dong, the weather in Guangzhou in July…” Meng Hao pointed to the sky again, “My plan is to win two qualifying matches in Guangzhou, which will give me enough points to get into the top 500, then I’ll withdraw from the main tournament and focus on the Jinan station!”

At this point, Shen Rongyu couldn't stand it anymore: "Brother, are you trying to kill Meng Hao with heatstroke? As far as I know, tennis players often suffer from heatstroke during matches!"

"As far as I know, the Guangzhou Challenger is indoors, while the Jinan Challenger is outdoors!" Shen Dongguo said confidently. "Many foreigners are also afraid of the high temperatures, and since Guangzhou was able to apply for a tournament this season, it must be indoors, otherwise the ATP wouldn't approve it!"

Oh, I see. Then it's alright!

Plans have changed!

"Brother Dong, you're really well-informed, having been in this industry for so long!" Meng Hao joked with a smile.

“My mom is a distributor for Babolat, and many lower-level tennis tournaments in China are sponsored by Yonex…” Shen Dongguo said earnestly, “We’re all competitors!”

"Auntie is exactly the kind of talent that Xiaomi and CEO Lei Jun desperately need!"

……

That evening, Meng Hao received a rather unexpected phone call.

The other party claimed to be from the Guangdong Provincial Sports Bureau and asked Meng Hao if he would like to join the Guangdong team.

If he agrees, he'll give you a wildcard for the challenge.

They all hope to join the provincial team from Guangdong, Zhejiang, and Yunnan.

Male tennis talent is indeed a rare commodity in the 21st century.

Meng Hao suddenly remembered something and asked, "I remember there's an ATP 250 tournament in Shenzhen this September, does it also offer main draw wildcards?"

"A wildcard for the tour? Are you kidding me? That's definitely not going to happen!" The other party replied without even thinking.

What's the point of even chatting then!

……

(End of this chapter)