Former table tennis world number one Zhu Yuling says she is just happy to have overcome immune system problems and be able to play again, and now considers the sport she once dominated to be just a hobby.
The Chinese star, who rose to the top of women's tennis in 2017 and 2018, returned to the international stage for the first time in four and a half years last week, representing Macau at the casino city's WTT Champions tournament.
The 29-year-old reached the last 16 before losing to former teammate Wang Manyu, currently ranked world number three, but said her main focus away from the tables was life as a professor, student and businesswoman.
“I used to be crazy about table tennis. It was my job, but now it's just a hobby,” she says. “Before it was my only thing and everything else had to give way to it, but that's not the case anymore.”
“A professional sports career has a time limit, but a hobby is for life, so for me it was a change. Life is always about balance and there will be rewards.” [elsewhere] If you lose something [here]It was okay because life always has its ups and downs.”
