Tennis: He's so obedient!

Chapter 199: How to Spend the Prize Money? No Rackets Given Away Here!
After taking a group photo with the organizing committee, he took a separate photo with Federer, who was holding a crystal plate in his hands.

Hmm, having Federer serve dishes is kind of fun!
After the awards ceremony, Jiang Hong will also give a post-match interview.

The interview was conducted by reporters from ESPN, who have been working with the Madrid Masters organizing committee for many years.

However, the reporter today has changed; it's not Carlos Reyes from before, but a female reporter instead.

Lisa Bella was very excited, mainly because their TV station had been contacted by IMG.

Therefore, the higher-ups decided to transfer Reyes, which gave her this opportunity.

Clenching his fists, he took a deep breath, regulated his breathing, and approached Jiang Hong.

A professional smile appeared on his face. "Jiang, first of all, congratulations on a huge victory! An incredible victory!"

Perhaps due to nervousness, he didn't give Jiang Hong a chance to speak, and continued, "You won the first set in the tiebreak, and then withstood Federer's comeback in the second set. How do you feel right now?"

Jiang Hong was still somewhat wary of ESPN, having dug himself into many holes during previous interviews.

"Thank you for your congratulations!" Jiang Hong nodded slightly, a smile on his face. "This match was indeed wonderful for me!"

"Roger is a great player. I watched his matches on TV before I became a professional tennis player, and now I have the opportunity to compete against him on the same court and win."

"For me, it feels like fulfilling a childhood dream."

It's actually a dream of young and middle-aged people!
It's still my dream from my past life.

Lisa Bella nodded, unsurprised.

After all, Federer's influence is so great that young players would definitely be very excited to defeat him.

The second question immediately followed: "We all saw that in the second set, when you had two break points against Federer, you boldly chose to serve with sidespin. What were you thinking at that moment?"

Jiang Hong thought for a moment, then slowly said, "Variations and battles! You know, players like Roger have excellent serve reception skills, which puts a lot of pressure on the serving side. If we choose a conventional serve, the risk will be very high."

"So, my rational mind told me that I needed to make changes and not fall into Roger's rhythm. Fortunately, I guess I made the right bet in the end!"

Lisa Bella suddenly turned her eyes and looked towards the stands: "Jiang! We noticed that after each match, you interact very enthusiastically with your fans. After this match, you even gave away three rackets."

"This is your championship racket from the Madrid Masters, it has great collectible value and commemorative significance."

"Why did you just send it away like that?"

Because CCTV was also broadcasting the post-match interviews, many fans did not leave after the game ended and stayed in front of the TV.

Hearing that Jiang Hong had given away three rackets, I felt incredibly envious.

Online discussions immediately erupted.

"Wow, Jiang Shen actually won the championship! I originally thought Jiang Shen was just an idol-type player, but I didn't expect him to have both good looks and strength! (I used a 50-55 pound racket)"

"Hey bro, we don't give out rackets here!"

"Wow, why didn't you say so earlier? Jiang Shen is awesome!"

"I feel like I missed out on a fortune."

"I want the Madrid Masters champion racket!"

"I'll buy Jiang Shen's racket for 5 yuan, cash on delivery!"

"You want to buy it for 5? I'll offer 8!"

"10 million..."

The forum turned into an auction.

When faced with the reporter's question, Jiang Hong turned his head and looked at the Chinese fans who had not yet left the stands.

"To be honest, tennis is not a popular sport in China, and it doesn't have many fans."

"And as you know, tennis is a lonely sport; neither teammates nor coaches can help you on the court."

"Whether I'm competing in China or in other countries, my compatriots always come to support me and cheer me on! It makes me feel like I'm not fighting alone!"

"so……"

Jiang Hong suddenly turned to the audience and raised his voice.

"This championship doesn't just belong to me!"

"And they are our champions!"

Because it's a champion interview, it will be broadcast live using the on-site screen and microphone.

Therefore, Jiang Hong's answer reached the ears of every Chinese football fan.

Although they came to support their compatriot and hoped that Jiang Hong could achieve good results, they had no other demands.

But hearing Jiang Hong's words still moved me deeply.

A burst of enthusiastic applause erupted from the stands, not only for Jiang Hong, but also for the Chinese fans present.

Upon hearing this, Lisa Bella smiled and suddenly thought of a topic that the audience was interested in.

"Jiang! We all know that the prize money for the Masters is very generous. For example, the champion of this year's Madrid Masters has a prize of $40. After you win your first Masters title, what do you plan to do with the prize money? Buy a sports car? Luxury goods?"

After all, capitalism is all about money.

Many viewers sitting in front of their televisions only knew that Jiang Hong had played a very impressive match, but they didn't understand tennis or the prize money.

They were all taken aback when they heard that he had $40.

"Huh? The host just said this young man is only 18 years old, right? $40 is over 300 million Chinese yuan, isn't it?"

“He won glory for the country at eighteen and earned 300 million yuan in one game. Look at my son, all he does is play games all day long. I have to go and give this kid a good beating.”

Some athletes were also watching the game and smacked their lips.

"We work ourselves to the bone, and the champion only earns 20,000 to 30,000 yuan, and there are only five or six matches a year. Look at tennis."

"No, I want my son to play tennis in the future."

Jiang Hong had no idea that a single sentence from this reporter would directly boost enthusiasm for tennis in China.

Can you eat tennis?

can!
Regardless of whether it's actually possible, parents at least see that playing tennis seems to offer financial prospects, so naturally some are willing to invest.

Of course, for most children, it will ultimately only remain a hobby.

Even so, perhaps some promising talents will emerge.

Even after the solo flight program was implemented in 2009, sports bureaus in various regions still sponsored talented players.

If you have talent, you don't need to worry too much about money.

Jiang Hong was not surprised by the reporter's question.

However, this amount of money is not particularly large for him, since he has the backing of the Chinese market, and his sponsorship contracts and endorsement fees far exceed his competition prize money.

However, there aren't many players like Jiang Hong. For example, most of Djokovic's income comes from tournament prize money.

According to ATP statistics, his prize money in 2007 was $339 million, but his off-court income totaled less than $500 million.

Federer, a favorite in the market, earned $861 million in prize money in 2007, while his off-court income was approximately $2300 million.

Moreover, appearance fees for each competition were not included in this calculation.

Jiang Hong remained calm, chuckled, and said, "As for this bonus, I plan to treat my team to a big meal first, and then give them some bonuses. As for the rest, I'll probably have to think about it later."

Lisabella was a little disappointed that she didn't hear Jiang Hong mention buying luxury cars and mansions, but then she thought that maybe this was just a habit of Chinese players.

"Next, one last question, Jiang, you won this Masters title, especially defeating a legend like Federer, which will undoubtedly change expectations of you. Are you ready to be labeled a rising star or a champion? What kind of impact will this have on you?"

Jiang Hong thought for a moment, then said, "This championship is undoubtedly a huge encouragement for me!"

"As for labels, those are given by the outside world. My goal is to play tennis well."

"After winning this championship, other players will also pay attention to my technique. The difficulty of the competition will definitely increase in the future. This is a kind of pressure, but pressure is the driving force. I think the pressure will only make me stronger!"

Lisa Bella nodded, a smile on her face: "Great, a very good answer. Congratulations again on winning the 2007 Madrid Masters!"

"Thank you!" Jiang Hong nodded slightly.

I just finished the interview.

"Jiang Shen, over here!" Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out.

The voice sounded familiar. Jiang Hong turned around and found that it was Li Bobing, the leader of the European branch of the Baidu Tieba support group.

Jiang Hong walked over.

Then they heard the other person say expectantly, "Jiang Shen, our fan club would like to take a picture with you, is that okay?"

"Of course, no problem!"

Jiang Hong naturally wouldn't refuse such a request.

Afterwards, a group of people gathered together and took a group photo at the Madrid Masters.

After taking a group photo and exchanging a few words, Jiang Hongcai picked up his golf bag and left the Madrid stadium.

Upon entering the players' tunnel, he saw Fu Yunlong and Mark Jie waiting for him.

"Brother Jiang, you're amazing! You beat Federer and won the championship!" Mark Jer was so excited that he was almost incoherent.

"Keep a low profile, keep a low profile!"

Jiang Hong pressed his hand down and said with a grin.

As for Fu Yunlong, he wasn't so polite. "Old Jiang, let me see your trophy right away!"

"It's in my golf bag!" Jiang Hong handed over the bag. "Alright, I'm going to take a shower first!"

Fu Yunlong immediately waved his hand, "Go, go!"

At that moment, all he could see was the trophy.

He opened his bag, took out the trophy, and then handed his phone to Mark, "Little Ma, come here, take a picture of me!"

He then held the trophy and struck a pretentious pose.

Click!
After taking a few photos, Fu Yunlong immediately ran over and nodded in satisfaction.

"Great, great! I'll post it on my QQ space!"

After all, showing off is the fifth basic human need.

Then he turned to Mark Jie next to him and said, "Little Ma, do you want to take a picture?"

"Um... let's forget about it!"

"Try it, try it..."

After taking a shower, Jiang Hong changed into some dry clothes.

As soon as I stepped out of the bathroom, I saw Mark Jay posing in various ways while holding the trophy.

As a young person who has played tennis since childhood and loves tennis.

How could anyone not want to lift this trophy? "Ahem..." Jiang Hong coughed, reminding him, "That's enough, we still have things to do!"

Upon hearing the sound, Mark Jie immediately turned around and saw Jiang Hong walking out.

He lowered his head and apologized, "I'm sorry, Brother Jiang, I shouldn't have..."

Jiang Hong saw that Mark Jie had misunderstood him and waved his hand.

"I mean, we still need to prepare for the press conference. If you want to take pictures, feel free to do so later!"

Mark Jie immediately breathed a sigh of relief. He had thought that Brother Jiang didn't like people taking pictures with his trophy.

Mark put the trophy down and packed it away, then said, "Alright, Brother Jiang, let's go!"

The group headed towards the press conference hall.

Suddenly, Fu Yunlong's eyes lit up and a smile appeared on his face. "By the way, Lao Jiang, you just said you were going to give the team a bonus, is that true?"

Jiang Hong turned his head and glanced at Fu Yunlong, deliberately raising his eyebrows as he said, "But it seems like Brother Fu doesn't really want the bonus. I'm still considering whether to give it to him or not!"

Fu Yunlong's eyes widened immediately. "Old Jiang, no, Brother Jiang, God Jiang, I really want the bonus!"

Seeing Fu Yunlong's silly appearance, Jiang Hong chuckled, "Alright, I'll send it to you. I still prefer your unruly attitude."

Fu Yunlong immediately straightened his back, looking serious.

Jiang Hong had just arrived outside the No. 1 press conference room before he had even entered.

"not good!"

Beams of white light shot towards Jiang Hong.

"Crack!"

"Crack!"

Jiang Hong covered his eyes.

I was careless; I didn't flash!
I was ambushed by this group of reporters and didn't even have time to put on my sunglasses.

Jiang Hong immediately put on sunglasses, which made him feel a little better.

Because of limited space in the press conference room, it can only be reserved for influential large news media outlets.

However, this time when Jiang Hong reached the final and faced Federer, domestic media outlets mobilized in droves, with more than 200 media outlets reporting on it.

Even if you're not qualified to attend the press conference, you still have to take a few photos of Jiang Hong so you can fabricate news stories when you get back!
"Jiang Hong, over here!"

"Take a look here, Jiang Hong!"

The voices of reporters rose and fell.

The Madrid Masters organizing committee was also surprised, and staff members quickly blocked the reporters away.

"Please give way."

After clearing a path for Jiang Hong, the press conference was finally held.

A flurry of camera flashes followed, and Jiang Hong quickly walked to the front of the stage and sat down.

"Alright, everyone, you can start asking questions now!"

As soon as he finished speaking, all the media members in the audience raised their hands.

Jiang Hong decisively chose Xinhua News Agency, naturally prioritizing domestic media outlets.

The Xinhua News Agency reporter, his face also etched with excitement, stood up and said, "Jiang Hong, congratulations! This is the first Masters title in the history of Chinese men's tennis. Having defeated so many top players like Nadal, Djokovic, and Federer in the Madrid Masters, what does this title mean to you and to China?"

Although Jiang Hong won China's first ATP Challenger title and first ATP Tour title!
Jiang Hong responded very seriously to the official inquiries.

"This championship is the most important championship of my career."

As soon as he said that, many media people in the audience wanted to criticize him.

How long has your career been? You've only been an ITF and ATP member for less than six months, right?

But thinking about it this way, Jiang Honghe is indeed exaggerating a bit.

However, no one doubted that Jiang Hong was cheating.

After all, tennis is a world of geniuses.

After all, Michael Chang, who is of Chinese descent, defeated Edberg at the French Open in 1989 at the age of 17 years and 3 months to become a Grand Slam champion.

Martina Hingis, the women's Grand Slam champion, is even younger, having won the Australian Open at the age of 16 years and 117 days.

Thinking about it this way, Jiang Hong's reasoning seems quite reasonable.

Jiang Hong ignored the opinions of others and continued, "For me personally, this is a reward for my daily training!"

"As for China..." Jiang Hong said seriously, "it means that in the field of tennis, Chinese players can also stand at the top of the world."

Upon hearing this, the other reporters excitedly began taking notes.

What they wanted was for Jiang Hong to be a little more arrogant!
If you're not crazy, where will our sales come from?

"Okay, thank you for your answer!" Xinhua News Agency nodded and sat down.

Then the other reporters raised their hands high, as was the custom.

The CCTV reporter stood up; it was a reporter Jiang Hong did not recognize.

Oh, it seems to be one unit.

"Jiang Hong, this Madrid Masters title is not only a personal breakthrough for you, but also a historic moment. From winning the 110-meter hurdles at the 2004 Athens Olympics to your Masters title today, we have seen more and more Chinese athletes shining on the world stage. Why do you think there has been such a change?"

After all, in the reporter's view, Liu Xiang won the championship in a straight track race, while Jiang Hong made a breakthrough in a highly professional and influential event.

Both of these championships are well worth mentioning.

As expected of you!
It elevates the reader from the very beginning.

At this moment, Jiang Hong only wants to say one thing: I am very happy.

However, he ultimately suppressed his thoughts, thought for a moment, and replied.

“I think the journey from Brother Xiang winning the championship in 2004 to my own victory this time is more like a microcosm.”

These words immediately piqued the reporter's interest.

"Not only in the sports world, but also in various fields such as science and technology, China is gradually emerging and rising in the world. All of this is one of the manifestations of China's growing strength."

The reporter was very satisfied with Jiang Hong's answer, then nodded and sat down.

Jiang Hong discovered that there were only three or four Chinese media outlets in the hall.

So, naturally, I ordered Sports Weekly, which is still a familiar name.

"Jiang Hong, we noticed that your serves were consistently very threatening during the match, sometimes reaching speeds of up to 220 kilometers per hour. Was this a key factor in your victory?"

The other party did ask a professional question about the competition.

Jiang Hong answered the question very seriously: "In tennis, the serve is a very important weapon. I have been training a lot for my serve, and this championship was indeed largely due to my serve."

The issues raised by Sina Sports are clearly not that serious.

"Jiang Hong, what do you think of the 'Zhang Sheng Law' being discussed by Chinese netizens?"

"Huh?" Jiang Hong blinked; he really didn't know.

A reporter from Sina Sports explained to Jiang Hong, "So you're saying Zhang Sheng's mouth is like it's blessed; the moment he opens his mouth, you're in danger? Did you feel any pressure during the match?"

Good grief, you're a jinx, aren't you?
In the future, there will be several famous jinxes.

"No, not really. It seems I'll have to treat Brother Sheng to a few more meals in the future, so he can badmouth me properly. Maybe then I'll have a better chance of winning more championships."

Then came some foreign media outlets.

L'Équipe, as a French media outlet, inquired with Jiang Hong.

"The Paris Masters will be held soon, is your next goal to win back-to-back championships?"

When asked about this, Jiang Hong shrugged: "I think every player hopes to win back-to-back Masters titles!"

The reporters' eyes lit up instantly. Jiang Hong did not deny it, which meant he would be participating in the Paris Masters.

Agence France-Presse and Associated Press also asked questions.

Jiang Hong noticed that there were also reporters from Japan and South Korea, and casually pointed them out.

The Asahi Shimbun reporter stood up and began asking, "Jiang Hong, as the first..."

"Ahem, please speak Japanese instead, I can understand it!" Jiang Hong found the other person's Japanese-accented English too easy to understand.

Upon hearing this, the reporter immediately began asking questions in Japanese: "Jiang Hong, you are the first Asian player to win a Masters title. Kei Nishikori from our country is about the same age as you. What insights do you have for other young Asian players? You frequently use net play tactics in your matches. Is this more suitable for Asian players?"

Kei Nishikori reached the finals three times, but his best result was always runner-up.

He also reached the final of the 2014 Madrid Masters, his first time reaching a final in his career, but ultimately withdrew due to a back injury.

The original trajectory was that the opponent would become the number one in Asia, but now they can only crawl in my shadow.

Jiang Hong thought for a moment, then replied, "Yes, I've played against Kei Nishikori before, and I believe he will become an excellent player in the future."

"As for net play tactics, that depends on the player's own priorities!"

The Asahi Shimbun reporter's eyes lit up instantly; Jiang Hong acknowledged Kei Nishikori.

This indicates that he will become a very outstanding player in the future.

The South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo stood up, and their expressions were far from pleasant.

After all, back then, when Jiang Hong won a championship, they could still confidently say that Li Hengze's ranking was higher than Jiang Hong's.

However, Jiang Hong's ranking has now surpassed Li Hengze's.

He officially became the undisputed number one in Asia.

"Jiang Hong, as the former number one in Asia, did you ever learn from Li Hengze or gain any experience from him during your growth process?"

Jiang Hong glanced at the other person and thought, "As expected of you."

"I've fought Lee Hyung-taek before, and he's very strong. As for studying..."

Jiang Hong paused for a moment, then continued under the expectant gaze of the South Korean reporters: "As everyone knows, I have only been in the professional tennis world for a relatively short time, so I pay more attention to players like Federer and Nadal in terms of tactics and training focus."

"As for Lee Hyung-taek, I'm sorry, I didn't have much time to pay attention to him before."

Upon hearing this, the Chinese reporter almost burst out laughing; Jiang Hong was really holding a grudge.

After all, South Korean reporters had made quite a few sarcastic remarks about Jiang Hong before!
Upon hearing this, the South Korean reporter immediately sat down and stopped talking.

After answering a few questions casually, Jiang Hong ended the press conference.

After all, there are quite a few activities following the finals.

After all, I still have to attend the Madrid Masters celebration banquet, which is a required social event.

(End of this chapter)