Rafael Nadal’s coach guiding Hong Kong’s Coleman Wong through minefield of men’s tennis
Local favourite Wong confirmed as wild card for Bank of China Hong Kong Tennis Open, as top-20 players announced for Victoria Park event
One of the world’s greatest tennis coaches, Toni Nadal, has issued a personal rallying cry to Coleman Wong Chak-lam, as the Hong Kong prospect weighs up how to build on an up-and-down 2024.
Wong will begin his 2025 campaign at the Bank of China Hong Kong Tennis Open, after organisers awarded the local star a wild card for his home tournament.
It has also been revealed the top-20 trio of Karen Khachanov, Arthur Fils and Lorenzo Musetti will return for the Hong Kong event. They are joined in the draw by evergreen Japanese Kei Nishikori and combustible Denis Shapovalov of Canada.
Wong said he was relishing the prospect of playing in front of a “huge crowd”, after he was roared on by a packed centre court while losing in two tight sets to Musetti in the opening round last year.
The 20-year-old has since appeared in three grand slam qualifying competitions, but slipped out of contention for this month’s Next Gen ATP Finals following a series of lacklustre performances in Japan last month.
While licking his wounds over missing out on the event for the world’s top-eight players, aged 20 or younger, Wong was told by Toni Nadal that his nephew, the 22-times grand slam champion Rafael Nadal, had done all right for himself without playing in a Next Gen competition. Toni Nadal coached his family member to 16 of his major titles.
