The Honest Game: Chloe Wong on Responsibility, Resilience, and Growing Up Fast

Chloe Wong has learned to be honest with herself, even when it's uncomfortable. On a tennis court, there is nowhere to hide — no teammate to share the blame, no coach to call a timeout mid-rally — and that reality has shaped how she trains, how she studies, and how she handles the moments that don't go her way.

"For me, tennis is unlike other sports. During a match, you're completely alone," she says. "It is also very demanding in terms of intensity, fitness and problem-solving skills." That demand is precisely what drew her in. She didn't fall in love through a single beautiful shot but through a battle. "The first time I won a nerve-wracking, long battle was when I fell in love. The feeling of success after a long and tiring fight is what keeps me going."

What she enjoys most is the unpredictability of competition. No two opponents are the same, so every match forces her to adapt. And then there's the drop shot volley — the one shot that still makes her smile. "Watching the ball bounce twice right in front of you and the opponent a few steps away is the best feeling ever."

A typical day begins at 6:00 a.m. with fitness, followed by school from 8:00 until 3:30 or later, then training from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. She uses free periods for homework and revision, squeezing productivity into every gap. The sacrifices have been mostly social — missed hangouts, missed school events — but she accepts them. When travelling, schoolwork follows. She emails teachers, finishes assignments after matches, and aims for sleep before 10 p.m. to stay ready. Her school's PE teachers help by arranging lesson recordings and even alumni tutoring, a practical support system that makes the balancing act possible.

"For me, tennis is unlike other sports. During a match, you're completely alone,"

Pressure has visited her in acute ways. She recalls a match halted at one set all because the court was closing, the decider reduced to a ten-point tiebreak the following day. She had lost the second set after leading 4–1, and the overnight wait filled her head with doubt. "My coach helped a lot the next day when I was feeling down before the match." Now, after a mistake, she looks away from the court — at buildings, at the sky — to reset. And when things feel overwhelming, her friends are the ones who pull her through.

Her junior record speaks for itself — first runner-up in singles in 2024, a junior doubles title the same year, and a current ITF junior world ranking of 1248 — but the real shift has been internal. "Those achievements boosted my confidence. It shifted my mindset from hoping to win to knowing what I can do and how far I can go." At this year's SCAA Open, her goal is refreshingly simple: play good tennis and put her training into practice, regardless of the outcome.

Chloe wants her story to send a clear message. "I want to show them that you don't have to choose between sports and academics. It is possible to pursue sports while also taking school seriously, with great discipline and time-management." When younger players watch her, she hopes they notice how she handles mistakes. "It's hard to keep your calm after a stupid mistake or losing an important point, but how you deal with it shows what kind of player you are."

Tennis has taught her honesty and responsibility — being truthful about her effort, taking ownership of her preparation and choices. That lesson carried into exam season when time was short; she simply started waking earlier, using free periods, and studying before training. Beyond trophies, the sport has accelerated her growth. "Tennis has grown me up incredibly fast. It required me to deal with disappointment and understand that hard work doesn't always guarantee great results."

If she could speak to her younger self, the advice would be kind but direct: "A single bad match doesn't mean the end of the world. The journey is long and tough, and setbacks are just lessons to make you better. The most important thing is to enjoy the journey."

And at the end of it all, she sums it up simply: "Tennis has given me more than just a sport. It has given me the resilience to handle challenges, taught me to be completely honest with myself, and the trust that I have what it takes to overcome any challenge."

This profile is part of a series highlighting the future stars of Hong Kong tennis, brought to you by 御藥堂, Shun Hing Group, HEAD, Set Win Group, Linkers CPA Limited, POI Cooperation Limited, Titoni, iSmart, Watson's, Gym Aesthetics GA, 奇華餅家, 甘棠燒鹅,儲存易迷你倉, Next Gen, TennisAsia, TNCL Total Nutrition Center Ltd, Little Apple Education Group Limited, Check Check Sin, ESG School HK, Wonder Mami, Eventist, Pones, 蒲昌酒庄.