Roger Federer was Zhou Yi’s tennis hero growing up.
Now the 21-year-old Chinese wild card is trying to build a game in the Swiss great’s image.
Zhou stands 6-foot-4, looks to dictate with his forehand and, unlike many players of his generation, is comfortable moving forward to finish points at the net. It is a style he showed in abundance Wednesday, when he outlasted Italian qualifier Mattia Bellucci 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(4) in the first round of the Rolex Shanghai Masters.
“I enjoy trying to be the guy dominating the court rather than running around,” Zhou said.
The Beijing native's creative play twice left Bellucci sprawled out on the court deep into the third set. His own athleticism, including stretch volleys and a 360 degree turn at the net, captivated Chinese finals on Grandstand late into the evening on Wednesday.
“Federer also plays aggressive, and he likes to come to the net,” Zhou said. “His touch, he’s a magician, and I try to be like that.”
Then came the smile.
“I think right now the most similar part is we both wear headbands.”
Next up comes another Italian in 24th seed Lorenzo Musetti, one of the Tour’s most naturally artistic shotmakers. With his one-handed backhand, variety and feel around the court, Musetti may offer Zhou a closer look at some of the qualities he admired in Federer.
Victory would take Zhou into the third round of an ATP Masters 1000 event for the first time. In 2025 and 2026 Zhou received a wild card into the tournament for being the best-performing Chinese player in the Shanghai Challenger - Road to the Rolex Shanghai Masters. He reached the quarter-finals of the Challenger both years.
Growing up in Beijing, Zhou’s first sporting ambition was not tennis but badminton. He began playing at seven and dreamed of becoming a professional before switching sports three years later.
The decision was driven largely by his family. Pursuing badminton at that level was beginning to interfere with school, and his mother did not want him dropping out at such a young age.
“All my family thought tennis was similar,” Zhou said. “You both play across the net with the ball, and it’s more international.”
So at 10, relatively late by elite tennis standards, Zhou picked up a racquet. He trained at different clubs in Beijing, started playing juniors after COVID and eventually rose to World No. 3 in the junior rankings in 2023.
There was another significant challenge along the way.
At 14, Zhou was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, a condition that requires constant management of blood glucose levels. It has not stopped him pursuing a professional career, but it has added another layer to the daily demands of life on Tour.
His team has even reached out to Alexander Zverev’s camp for advice.
“My team got in touch with Sascha’s team to ask for a few pieces of advice,” Zhou said. “Personally, I’ve never really talked to him yet. Maybe this week.”
For Zhou, management comes down to expert medical support, diet and routine.
“We just asked for some doctors to help me, how to maintain my condition,” he said. “It’s just to have a healthier diet and healthy routine day after day.”
That discipline is now being reinforced by a team led by Davide Sanguinetti.
And in the second round, Zhou will again test the aggressive game he has been building since childhood, this time against one of the Tour’s most creative talents.
The Federer comparisons may still be ambitious.
The headband, at least, is already in place.
