Jayce
In the Southeast Asian tournaments, Zhao Jun Peng has frequently shined, reaching the finals of the Indonesia Open and the semifinals of the Singapore Open, which has drawn everyone’s attention. Gradually, people have also noticed some of his characteristics, such as his hoarse voice and his habit of frequently looking back at his coach during matches…
Zhao Jun Peng
Zhao Jun Peng: I Consider Myself to Be Confident
Looking back at the coach during matches is about believing in our collective efforts
Q: Peng Peng, you’re often criticized for frequently looking back at the coach during matches. How do you view this issue?
A: I’m aware that many netizens discuss this issue. Whether I’m winning or losing points, I habitually look back at my coach. Regardless of how others perceive it, I see this as part of my competitive mindset. I’ve always felt that the coach is also a part of the game, and together we strive to win the match—it’s that simple.
As an observer, I believe the coach sees the on-court situation more clearly. So I prefer to communicate more with the coach through eye contact and gestures, sharing information and emotions, to confirm whether our pre-match strategies are appropriate and if the match is within our expectations. I think that working together is key to winning matches.
Q: Have you heard Singaporean fans shout “believe in yourself”? Do you consider yourself an encouraging player?
A: Yes, many fans have given me notes and encouraged me. Whether confident or not, I consider myself to be relatively confident. If I weren’t confident, I might not show any expression on the court.
Q: You’ve been roommates with Lu Guang Zu for many years. Have you ever argued?
A: We used to be roommates in Beijing, but in recent years, during external training and competitions, I’ve mostly shared a room with Sun Feixiang.
Q: What has been the biggest challenge during your long-term competitions and training abroad? Lastly, as a fan, I’ve always thought Peng Peng was great and I look forward to seeing him perform brilliantly at the World Championships!
A: Thank you for your support. During foreign competitions, I think the main challenge is communication. Over the past six months, traveling from Europe to Asia, I’ve encountered nearly ten different languages, not every place has Chinese speakers or English speakers, so sometimes there are communication issues.
Q: What are your expectations for the World Championships? How do you plan to prepare?
A: After the first five tournaments, I understand the importance of focusing on the process. Currently, I don’t know which opponents I’ll face at the World Championships, so I’ll make good use of the next month to train diligently.
Q: Do you feel your voice is naturally hoarse?
How do you view the nickname “hoarse-voiced bridegroom”?
A: What’s that? Honestly, I don’t surf the internet much, so I’m not familiar with these trends.
Q: Has your voice been like this since childhood? Do you like Old Fan from Next Door because of the similarity?
A: Indeed, Old Fan’s songs suit me well, so when I go to KTV, I often choose his songs. Also, I really like many classic Cantonese songs, such as those by Andy Lau, Jacky Cheung, and Wong Ka Kui. Actually, my voice used to be very loud when I was young, but after my voice changed, it became what it is now. I don’t know if there’s a vocal cord polyp or something, but it doesn’t affect me much, and I don’t feel uncomfortable, so I haven’t checked it.
Q: When you were in Indonesia, what was your favorite food?
A: Peanuts! It seems to be a specialty of Bali. Once, the coach brought some for us to taste, and I found them delicious, so I asked someone to help me buy some, but they were quite hard to find.
Q: Whose songs do you like listening to the most? Is it A Du? Can you sing a little if you have the chance?
A: No, not really. Former teammates used to say my voice sounded like A Du’s, but I don’t listen to his songs.
Q: Can you show us that big smile again?
A: Oh, no, that was just captured in the moment and then zoomed in on. Netizens found it funny and it was hyped up a bit.
Q: Do you wear glasses in photos because you’re really nearsighted?
Zhao Jun Peng, are you nearsighted? I’ve seen you wearing glasses in photos. What do you do during matches?
A: I am somewhat nearsighted, it’s been like this since I was little. Maybe it’s because when I was a child, I watched TV with senior athletes after turning off the lights? Haha, maybe. For most people, 200-300 degrees is not a big deal, but for athletes, the degree is quite deep, so I usually wear contact lenses.
Zhao Jun Peng
How did you meet Li Wenshan?
I know Li Wenshan because of her coach, Gan Chaoyu. I know him quite well, and we met when he was playing. He speaks English and Chinese, so communication is no problem. Usually when I’m out playing, I call him to eat together.
Pengpeng, do you think there is a big difference between your private and on-court states?
A: I think they’re pretty similar. Honestly, maybe my requirements for life aren’t that high, I’m relatively casual and plain. On the court, I have high demands on myself. If I didn’t hit a good ball or made a simple mistake, my expression would be more obvious. I’m the kind of person whose emotions show on my face, and I can show my happiness and unhappiness through facial expressions and behavior.
When did Zhao start playing badminton? How did you get started playing badminton?
In fact, I started playing badminton in kindergarten. Later, through a referee, my parents decided to let me learn a craft, which is badminton. I have been in sports school since elementary school, learning in the morning, training in the afternoon, and studying late into the night. In fact, I also considered whether or not I was suitable for a professional career. I hesitated once. But when I first participated in the Jiangxi Provincial Youth Competition and won the third place, the coaches thought I could continue to persist, and that’s why I have won the provincial championship, and the country is on the road to the success story.
Zhao Jun Peng
Is Pengpeng relatively shy in private?
Still relatively minor, not shy, just when they don . even though titles quite talkative with familiar people, still lot.
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