Tennis: He's so obedient!

Chapter 201 Intensive Training, An Unexpected Sparring Partner!
Although Jiang Hong said that it would be more interesting to start from the qualifiers.

However, it would be a bit tiring to start from the qualifying rounds every time.

However, given the current situation, it's quite reasonable for the Paris Masters to issue itself a wildcard for the main draw.

After all, he had just won the Madrid Masters, which would increase the competitiveness of the Paris Masters.

In terms of influence, Jiang Hong has the backing of 13 billion people in China, so having him participate in the competition is definitely a good opportunity to expand his influence.

Therefore, giving Jiang Hongfa a wildcard can be said to kill two birds with one stone.

“Brother Jiang, it’s like this, Brother Li just called to ask if you need a sparring partner?” Mark Jie suddenly remembered this.

“I definitely need a sparring partner. Help me find one!” Jiang Hong nodded immediately.

Since I don't need to play in the qualifying rounds now, there's still a week until the Paris Masters officially starts.

Having a sparring partner during this period would be a good way to maintain my form.

Jiang Hong and Ma Su trained together during the Madrid Masters, but the other party went to St. Petersburg to compete the day before yesterday.

Last night, I even sent a message to congratulate Jiang Hong on winning the championship.

Jiang Hong really doesn't have anyone to train with anymore.

Mark Jie immediately nodded, "Okay, Brother Jiang, I'll go and get back to Brother Li right away."

“Go ahead!” Jiang Hong nodded, not paying any attention.

After all, with the training acceleration card now available, training efficiency has improved considerably.

We must make the most of this week.

Although he won the Madrid Masters, it doesn't mean that Jiang Hong has the Paris Masters all under his control.

After all, nobody knows if Nadal, Nalbandian, or any other player will suddenly have a breakout performance.

Although the Madrid Masters and Paris Masters are back-to-back tournaments, unlike the Indian Wells Masters and Miami Masters, they are not referred to as the Sunshine Double.

However, Jiang Hong still really wants to win these two back-to-back Masters titles.

After all, after 2009, the two competitions were no longer back-to-back.

The Madrid Masters will be moved to May and will become a clay court tournament.

It's so frustrating not to get this achievement that's about to become unavailable!
Oh, right!
In addition to this back-to-back Masters tournament, there is also the Hamburg Masters.

The Hamburg Masters was held as early as May this year, when Jiang Hong didn't even have an ATP ranking.

So if I can't win this championship next year, I'll never win it again.

Safin achieved this back-to-back Masters double title in 2004.

After resting for a while, Jiang Hong stood up again and continued training.

After all, he had training recovery drugs, so he wasn't worried about getting injured during training.

In the morning, while Jiang Hong was training, a voice suddenly rang out.

"Old Jiang!"

He turned his head and saw that it was Li Gong.

"Old Li, what brings you here?" Jiang Hong stopped training.

Li Gong didn't answer directly, but glanced at Jiang Hong and teased, "The first Asian Masters Tournament couldn't satisfy you? You just finished the tournament and you're already training again!"

"Isn't it said that athletes often experience some 'post-victory syndrome' after winning a championship?"

After winning a major tournament, athletes typically experience a decline in various aspects, including their mental state, technique, and lifestyle.

In terms of psychology, some players have higher expectations of themselves, which leads to a loss of technique, while others become complacent with their achievements and start to slack off.

Technically, the off-field factors associated with winning a championship, such as commercial activities and media interviews, squeeze out athletes' training time.

As for the last aspect, after winning the championship, opponents will focus on studying the team, and the team's tactics and techniques may be targeted.

Jiang Hong knew exactly what kind of achievements the current world's top three would make in the future.

A Masters title is nothing to make him complacent.

As for off-field factors, Jiang Hong refused all commercial activities during the competition, while Li Gong was responsible for endorsements and such matters; he only confirmed some details.

As for interviews, Jiang Hong only accepted interviews from CCTV and Xinhua News Agency after winning the championship, and refused all other interviews.

As for not showing off after winning the championship, it's like wearing fine clothes in the dark.

It's mainly Jiang Hong's stronghold; the Baidu Tieba forum has already satisfied Jiang Hong's need to show off.

They all praised them so much that even Jiang Hong felt embarrassed.

Moreover, Li Hua said this morning that another banner had appeared at their school.

Warmest congratulations to Jiang Hong, a sophomore from our school, who has won the ITF Tour Guangzhou, ITF Shanghai, ATP Wuhan Challenger, and China Open titles, on winning the Madrid Masters!

They also took photos of Jiang Hong.

Even though I'm not at school, my legend lives on throughout the school!
Moreover, looking at the data on his attribute panel, Jiang Hong knew that he was not invincible and had to keep working hard!
How could I possibly become lazy?

In response to Li Gong's question, Jiang Hong raised an eyebrow: "The aftereffects of winning the championship flared up last night and lasted until this morning!"

"What? Are you disappointed?"

Upon hearing this, Li Gong immediately waved his hand, saying, "How could that be? I'm still waiting for you to win more championships!"

Jiang Hong turned his head and asked with some curiosity, "By the way, Lao Li, why did you suddenly come to Madrid?"

Li Gong sighed, looking disappointed, and said, "Actually, I could have arrived yesterday, but I couldn't get a plane ticket, so I had to come today. Congratulations on winning the Masters Tournament!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Hong looked Li Gong up and down with a suspicious expression.

"you sure?"

Li Gong coughed, "Alright, and by the way, there are some commercial endorsements to discuss!"

Upon hearing the other person's words, Jiang Hong chuckled, guessing that the important part was what came next.

"Okay, wait a minute. I'll discuss it when I get back after training today!"

Jiang Hong certainly wouldn't give up halfway through training when he hadn't even reached the maximum progress bar.

These are all points that can be used to improve my attributes, so how can I let them slip away like this?

Jiang Hong, on the other hand, was running around the court like crazy, practicing putting down and receiving short balls.

Federer is probably the player among the Big Three who likes to play at the net the most.

However, this "most" should also be put in quotes. In order to defeat Nadal at the French Open, Federer gradually began to try dropping shots to the net.

However, the technology has not yet reached the top or peak level.

Jiang Hong even shamelessly claims that his current drop shot technique is better than Federer's.

As players become more versatile, the short ball tactic gradually becomes more frequent.

Therefore, Jiang Hong is currently focusing on developing his serve and drop shot at the net as a key offensive weapon.

Of course, Jiang Hong will not neglect other aspects of training either.

boom!
boom!
boom!
Li Gong was completely dumbfounded watching Jiang Hong's frantic training.

I thought the training was almost over, but I didn't expect there to be so much more training content.

[Ding! Congratulations, host! You have completed the mission to retrieve the ball!]

"Whoo~"

Jiang Hong let out a breath and reached out to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

Turning around, I found that Li Gong had fallen asleep leaning against the stool.

"Old Li!" Jiang Hong went over and patted him on the shoulder.

"Huh? Training is over?" Li Gong opened his eyes and asked in confusion.

"It's over!" Jiang Hong nodded. "It's getting late, let's go eat!"

……

hotel restaurant.

"Alright, now you can tell me what you want to talk to me about!" Jiang Hong said casually while eating.

"Yes, that's right. BaWang is currently willing to raise their endorsement fee to $300 million a year, and it can be increased or adjusted based on your performance!"

"Pantene is currently willing to pay $200 million a year."

"But one is a domestic brand, and the other is an international big name!"

In reality, the luxury goods endorsed by so-called A-list celebrities in the Chinese entertainment industry are actually very inexpensive.

They rely more on luxury goods to elevate their social status.

Therefore, when comparing a foreign brand and a local brand, those who endorse the lower-priced foreign brand are more likely to choose to do so.

However, in Jiang Hong's eyes, these brands were not much different.

“Hmm…” Jiang Hong pondered for a moment, then turned to Li Gong and said, “How about this, we’ll discuss it with them again after the Paris Masters.”

Li Gong was somewhat surprised to hear Jiang Hong's words.

Even if Jiang Hong reaches the semi-finals at the Paris Masters a week later, it will be difficult to significantly increase sponsorship revenue.

Reaching the finals or even winning the championship in two back-to-back Masters tournaments is extremely difficult.

He opened his mouth, just about to try to persuade Jiang Hong.

Noticing the other person's serious gaze, Li Gong finally shut his mouth.

He nodded and then said.

"Okay, then I'll have some discussions first, and then decide after the Paris Masters."

Jiang Hong had no intention of selling himself off cheaply.

After all, it's not a big deal to delay for half a month.

Li Gong didn't dwell on these commercial endorsements, but instead talked about the competition.

"You just won the Madrid Masters, I bet those players will be eyeing you, the Asian Master, very closely!"

"However, I estimate the draw for the Paris Masters won't be as tough as the Madrid Masters!"

To be honest, Jiang Hong hadn't thought that much about signing the form.

However, if one manages to bump into the world's top three twice, then one's luck is truly unparalleled.

It was quite a coincidence that this draw was drawn, and Djokovic and Nadal both performed as expected, without making any mistakes and being eliminated prematurely.

At that time, Jiang Hong was just an unknown young tennis player.

However, this Madrid Masters tournament has already tested Jiang Hong's potential as a dark horse.

Based on Jiang Hong's current points, he is unlikely to become a seeded player.

However, he is definitely a strong contender for the Paris Masters title.

After all, there was only a week between the two competitions.

Moreover, both competitions are indoor hard court events.

In addition, Jiang Hong's matches attract a large number of Chinese fans to watch.

This is definitely an opportunity to increase the Paris Masters' influence in China and boost ticket sales.

"I hope so!" Jiang Hong nodded, also somewhat hopeful.

Although he fears no opponent, who wouldn't prefer something simpler?

Suddenly, Li Gong changed the subject and said, "But that's not necessarily true."

"If these arrogant Frenchmen decide to teach this Chinese kid a lesson, the draw might be tough!"

After all, no one can say for sure until the official draw begins.

"If that's the case, then let's do it!" Jiang Hong thought that each organizing committee had its own plans, and signing was such a common thing that it wouldn't cause too much of an emotional reaction.

However, Li Gong suddenly became serious at this moment and gave some instructions.

"I trust you!"

"However, don't put too much strain on your body, after all, health is the foundation of everything."

He still remembered how Jiang Hong had suddenly requested a medical timeout during the game, which had startled him.

We finally found such a promising talent; if he gets injured, we'll be devastated!

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing!" Jiang Hong nodded. In fact, the match didn't put much strain on Jiang Hong's body.

It also significantly improved his strength.

Perhaps feeling the atmosphere was too serious, Li Gong started joking.

"Old Jiang, after this competition, you're no longer just a challenger. I bet a lot of young players are eyeing you now, wanting to beat you!"

Jiang Hong thought about it for a moment, and then he remembered when a player told him before a game that he was a fan of his.

My lifelong dream is to compete against him on the same stage and defeat him.

Jiang Hong decisively defeated his opponent, leaving behind the words—"Screw your tennis dreams!"
Just thinking about it is exciting.

Looking at the smile on Jiang Hong's face, Li Gong felt a chill run down his spine.

I had just finished eating when I received a phone call. I picked it up and glanced at it, only to find that it was Chen Bochong calling.

After exchanging congratulations and pleasantries, Chen Bochong got down to business.

Because Jiang Hong's grades changed, both parties needed to sign a confirmation agreement.

Others might sign such an agreement once every two or three years, or even not have the opportunity to sign one at all during the entire contract period.

Who else signs new contracts every few days like Jiang Hong?
Chen Bochong did not come to Europe. Instead, he had an Adidas employee deliver the agreement to Jiang Hong for him to sign.

Although everyone cooperated well, it's always wise to be cautious. Jiang Hong asked Li Gong to find the legal department of IMG's European branch to check for any legal loopholes in the contract.

Only after confirming that everything was correct did I sign my name.

Looking at the contract, Li Gong smacked his lips and said, "Old Jiang, I think if you hadn't gone down the path of tennis, you would have had a very promising future as an agent in our company."

"After all, even if we negotiated, it's unlikely that the terms of this contract would be any better."

There was actually one more thing that Li Gong didn't say.

That is, IMG may have underestimated Jiang Hong's future potential, and therefore signed a relatively conservative contract.

Jiang Hong glanced at Li Gong, shook his head, and said, "With my qualifications, even IMG wouldn't hire me!"

Li Gong was taken aback. With Jiang Hong's undergraduate degree, it was indeed possible.

"By the way, Lao Jiang, do you have anything planned for this afternoon?"

"train!"

"what?"

As one of the senior executives of the Huaxia branch, Li Gong had previously coached many athletes.

Whether in Europe and America or China, there really isn't anyone as hardworking as Jiang Hong.

Jiang Hong's morning training consisted mainly of technical exercises.

In the afternoon, physical training began.

They arrived at the private gym that Jiang Hong had specially booked.

"system!"

Jiang Hong shouted in his mind, and instantly a bright blue panel appeared in front of him.

The first exercise is the barbell squat.

After selecting the appropriate weight, Jiang Hong stood in front of the barbell and took a deep breath.

"Begin training!"

Grasp the barbell with both hands, suddenly lower your waist and exert force, and with a metallic clang, hoist the barbell onto your shoulder.

After standing with my feet shoulder-width apart, I started doing squats.

If the barbell weight is insufficient, the training will not meet the standards and will not be recorded in the panel.

However, Jiang Hong, who has trained countless times, certainly couldn't possibly be anything but perfect.

Feel the intense, tingling sensation as your quadriceps and glutes are being torn apart.

[27/32]

[29/32]

[32/32]

[Barbell squat, done!]

Bang!
Jiang Hong took a few steps back and placed the barbell on the rack.

He sat on the stool and rubbed his legs.

Although his strength and physical fitness are constantly improving, the intensity of his training is also increasing!
After taking a sip of water and resting briefly,

"continue!"

"We can't give up training just because we can get rewards from playing in competitions."

Jiang Hong knew that as his strength increased, the rewards and suggestions he would receive would decrease.

Therefore, what he ultimately needs to rely on is down-to-earth training.

Jiang Hong stood up and began the next training exercise.

Jiang Hong was the only person in the entire gym.

In the blink of an eye, more than an hour had passed.

At this moment, Jiang Hong looked as if he had been fished out of a water vat.

His clothes were completely soaked, and he stared at the system panel.

"Upper body training is over, now it's lower body training's next!"

Slide down!
In an instant, a dense array of training content appeared before my eyes.

【卧推0/32次；引体向上0/3力竭；哑铃肩推0/36，杠铃弯举+颈后臂屈伸0/24……】

Although the entire training process is very tedious, having these panels to check the progress of the tasks makes all the difference.

Furthermore, it's certain that you'll receive a reward after the training ends.

It's like fishing for a carrot in front of you, and you're immediately trapped in an infinite positive loop.

"Next up, bench press!"

This time, Jiang Hong didn't train alone; he called over Mark Jie and Fu Yunlong as insurance.

As a reborn person, Jiang Hong still cherishes his precious life.

When it comes to exercises like bench press, these two guys are still there for me.

That way, you won't be crushed to death under the barbell if you ever run out of strength.

Being defeated by a barbell in a one-on-one fight is truly a disgrace to time travelers.

Jiang Hong lay under the bench press rack, his hands gripping the barbell.

"Get up!"

Instantly, the muscles in Jiang Hong's arms and chest began to bulge, and the barbell was steadily pushed up.

Jiang Hong could almost hear the beeping sound of a progress bar continuously incrementing by 1.

As the progress bar on the panel reached its end, Jiang Hong finally placed the barbell on the rack.

One training session after another came to an end.

After the previous training sessions were over, when only the plank position remained, Jiang Hong felt his body becoming numb.

"3 seconds left, 2 seconds left, 1 second left... It's over!"

Jiang Hong's arms went limp instantly, and he could no longer support himself, collapsing onto the rug.

He was panting heavily, but a happy smile was on his face.

[Ding! Congratulations, host, for completing the suggestion. You have gained +3 Intermediate Strength Attribute Points, +2 Intermediate Physical Strength Attribute Points, and +2 Intermediate Speed ​​Attribute Points.]

[Ding! Training Acceleration Card activated, mission reward *2!]

【…】

Although these attribute points can't even improve Jiang Hong's attributes at all right now.

However, through consistent and persistent training, they are already much happier than other players.

Even with the training methods of Federer and Nadal, there's no guarantee that one will improve.

Often, simply maintaining the current state is already quite good.

Mark Jie, who was standing nearby, noticed Jiang Hong's expression and offered him a bottle of water.

"Brother Jiang, are you alright?"

"It's alright!"

After resting for a while, Jiang Hong got up from the ground, took the water bottle, took a sip of water, and moistened his throat.

Fortunately, the first thing I do in my daily training is running.

In addition to attribute points, running also rewards you with training recovery potions.

After the other training sessions were over, I didn't even want to lift my legs.

Jiang Hong took a quick shower and then went straight back to his room.

"Claim your reward!"

After receiving the "training recovery potion," he immediately gulped it down his throat.

"sleep!"

……

The next morning, Jiang Hong opened his eyes right on time.

The aches and pains from yesterday have completely disappeared, and I feel full of energy.

This morning, Jiang Hong only did a light jog and did not engage in any high-intensity training.

Because yesterday, Li Gong had already bought plane tickets for their team to Paris.

Although Madrid is not far from Paris.

However, after careful consideration, Jiang Hong ultimately decided to fly directly to Paris.

Jiang Hong mainly wanted to experience the venue where the competition was held; it wouldn't hurt to get used to it.

After breakfast, the group went to the airport to catch a flight to Paris.

Two hours later, the plane landed at Paris Orly Airport.

As soon as he left the airport, Jiang Hong smelled a strong odor of urine.

He suddenly remembered that he seemed to have seen a marketing account say something like that.

In France, 40% of men have a habit of urinating in public.

Arriving at the hotel, Jiang Hong couldn't see anything different about this city known as the romantic capital.

It wasn't beautiful at all; in fact, it looked rather dirty and messy.

Many tourists who come from afar, upon seeing the real Paris, may feel a little regretful.

Jiang Hong didn't plan to wander around Paris. After checking into the hotel, he went straight to the tennis court he had booked in advance to train.

After training ended in the evening, Jiang Hong suddenly remembered that Li Gong had asked him to find a sparring partner.

Why is there still no sign of him!
To this question, Li Gong simply chuckled mysteriously and said, "Old Jiang, since I've already promised you, of course I won't stand you up. You'll be able to meet your sparring partner tomorrow, and you'll definitely be pleasantly surprised!"

Did he find one of the top-ranked players for himself?
After all, IMG does have quite a few top-tier players.

Professional players' practice sessions with each other depend on each other's availability.

So it's normal to be a little late.

The next day, Jiang Hong finally met his sparring partner at the training ground.

"ginger!"

"Novak?"

Jiang Hong never expected that this mysterious sparring partner was actually Novak Djokovic.

(End of this chapter)