Source:REUTERS/Phil Noble
[Saba Sports News] When it was reported that Lin Dan and Xie Xingfang sent their son to Spain to study tennis, many fans were puzzled. They pointed out that both parents are well-known figures in the badminton world, and if their son truly wanted to develop a career in sports, he might find it easier to succeed in badminton given Lin Dan’s tremendous fame and resources.
Previously, it was only mentioned that Lin Dan’s son had a talent for tennis, but without supporting data, many were left confused. However, when sources revealed that Lin Dan’s son had climbed to sixth place in the world rankings for his age group (9 years old), it surprised many. Even more unexpected was that he was the only Asian face among the top eight in the youth rankings released by the Spanish Tennis Federation. In terms of UTR (Universal Tennis Rating) scores, Lin Dan’s son had a score of 5.7, only 0.12 points away from the top.
Coaches at the academy praised Lin Dan’s son, stating that his wrist control is quite rare among peers. This praise came after Lin Dan’s son raised his backhand score by 0.12 in a short period. Recently, in a youth competition in Valencia, Spain, Lin Dan’s son faced an opponent with a UTR score of 6.0, leading to a decisive victory, winning three matches in a row.
From my perspective, Lin Dan’s son achieving such progress at the age of nine is not only due to innate talent but also the result of personal hard work and dedicated support from his parents.