Who is Bu Yunchaokete? All you need to know about the 22-year-old Chinese ATP player who is taking the Asian swing by storm

Bu Yunchaokete 'Bert' is a 22-year-old tennis player currently ranked No. 96 in the ATP rankings and is the third-highest-ranked Chinese player. He is currently playing the Asian swing. According to the ATP, his full name is Buyunchaokete, and he goes by "Bu" or his American name, "Bert." His recent dynamic performances have attracted the eyes of many observers.

Most recently, he shocked everyone by reaching the semifinals of the Hangzhou Open, that too as the wildcard, seeing off heavyweight players like second seed Karen Khachanov and Hugo Gaston along the way. He was eventually defeated by Zhang Zhizhen in the semifinals in straight sets 6-7, 4-6.

Between the second week of July and the US Open, Buyunchaokete played in four Challenger-level tournaments, reaching the semifinals twice and the final once while winning the Championnats de Granby.

Buyunchaokete was introduced to tennis at age 5 and was discovered by coach Luo Yong, before moving to Huzhou for his training. He turned pro in 2022 and has amassed $364,293 in career prize money. The 22-year-old has a singles record of 5-5, and his current coaches are Ricardo Ojeda Lara and Yu Jinxing.

Talking about making it to the top 100 in the world in rankings, during a press conference at the China Open, he said,

"I can enjoy this much more without any pressure, without any mental burden. I am starting to enjoy tennis, my level of play. I don't need to consider the ranking or specific goals. Now I am in the top 100, I'm not under any more pressure. I will just enjoy each match."

Bu was born on 19 January 2002 in an ethnic Mongolian family from Bortala, Xinjiang. He grew up with his grandparents, as his father died when he was young.

In just two years, he has made significant progress as a player, turning many heads with his performances.

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Bu Yunchaokete on his recent exploits on the court

Bu Yunchaokete at the 2024 ATP250 Hangzhou Open - Day 7 - Source: Getty

Bu Yunchaokete is set to face Shang Juncheng in the Round of 32 of the China Open 2024 on Friday. He was recently asked at a press conference what his recent rise up the rankings means for him and his team. He replied

"Of course, you have more confidence in yourself, in the whole team. You'll be brave enough to have bigger dreams and ambitions. It would be hard to believe in yourself if nobody has achieved it. If nobody has done it, I would be hesitant to believe I could do it, whether I can set a goal like this. If somebody has made the breakthrough, that would give me self-confidence that I would be determined to follow my goals. This kind of impact would be very mutual."

Bu's recent playstyle has shown to be increasingly composed through each competition, and he implements the basics well.

He is set to pair up with legendary player Stanislas Wawrinka in the doubles of the China Open, and they will face Alexander Bublik and Pedro Martínez on September 27.