Farms.com Home   Ag Industry News

Tennis win means farming plans are on hold

Chinese player was ready to quit tour, focus on farming

By Bill Brown, Editor, Farms.com

Chinese tennis player Zhang Shuai was ready to quit tennis and focus on a career in farming before she upset No. 2 seed Simona Halep in the Australian Open in Melbourne Tuesday night.

Zhang won 6-4 6-3 to defeat last year’s U.S. Open semi-finalist in straight sets.

Zhang Shuai

Mai Techaphan / Shutterstock.com

She had previously been as high as No. 30 in world rankings, but the 25-year-old Zhang had recently slipped to World No. 133.

Zhang explained that she had reached a point where “I just didn’t want to play. I felt like I should just go and lose as quickly as possible.”

Thinking she would walk away from professional tennis, Zhang told reporters that “farming” would be her next pursuit.

“I wanted to grow fruit, vegetables, grow flowers.

“I felt I really want to have this kind of life. To feel relaxed and really enjoy life.”

But then she landed in Melbourne and came up with a performance she described as “the best moment of my career.”

Farm life will now be put on hold as Zhang advances in the tournament.


Trending Video

Spring Planting & Tillage Products to Increase Yields and Profits from May Wes

Video: Spring Planting & Tillage Products to Increase Yields and Profits from May Wes


May Wes offers dozens of spring tillage and planting products to increase your yields and protect your equipment - resulting in more money in your pocket.

Our latest spring planting products include the G2 Star Closing Wheel. By popular demand, we shortened the points to catch less debris. We also now carry SeedRight Seed Plates that allow you to use your corn planter to plant cover crops and small grains and Bundle Drop to get better soybean seed emergence in hard soil.