The Pop Sound That Started It All: A Chat with Winky

At 14, Winky already has a Chairman Cup doubles title to her name, but ask her why she plays tennis and the answer is wonderfully simple. Her dad got her into the sport, and after trying other things that felt boring, she found the one thing that stuck — a sound she never gets tired of.

Her dad plays, so that was the entry point. But what really hooked her was something small and specific. "I love the pop sound the ball makes when I hit it perfectly. I tried other sports, but none of them gave me that same awesome feeling. That is why tennis is my favourite." It's a simple reason, and perhaps that's why it feels so genuine.

Ask her what she enjoys most and the answer comes quickly: the competition. Testing her skills against another player keeps her locked in. And then there's that one shot — the backhand down the line winner — that makes her smile every time. "Watching the opponent not even move is the best feeling ever."

A typical day for Winky is not for someone who likes to sleep in. The alarm goes at 6:00 a.m., then it's breakfast and the MTR to school by 7:30. Classes end at 3:15 p.m., and right after that, she's rushing to tennis training. Practice runs from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., and she doesn't get home until around 8:30. Dinner, homework, study, shower, brush teeth, sleep somewhere between 10:30 and 11:00 — and then the whole thing starts again. It's a packed schedule, and she knows what she's missing. Fun things like hanging out with friends often get pushed aside. When she travels for tournaments, the schoolwork doesn't disappear either. She does her homework at airports and in hotel rooms after matches. "I just force myself to do my homework and rest in my hotel room right after my matches," she says, matter-of-factly.

There's a real trade-off with life on the road. It sounds fun, but behind the scenes it's tiring. Missing family gatherings and weekend hangouts is part of the deal. In the little free time she gets, she calls friends to catch up. Keeping on top of school means discipline, and she leans on her teachers, who are "super supportive." They give her schoolwork early before she travels, so she doesn't fall behind.

Pressure is part of tennis, and Winky has felt it in the middle of a close match when things weren't going her way and everyone was watching. "I felt like I was going to cry, but I took a deep breath, and told myself to just focus on one point at a time. It helped me calm down and kept fighting." That deep breath has become her go-to tool. When things get tough, she takes a big breath to reset, and she's grateful for her coaches, who always encourage her when she's feeling stressed.

Winning the Women's Chairman doubles title at such a young age was a milestone. It showed her she could handle the pressure when the stakes were high, and now she steps on court with more confidence. This year at the SCAA Open, her goals are clear: in Ladies Open Singles, beat her results from last year; in Ladies Open Doubles, make it into the main draw.

Winky wants her story to mean something to other young players. "I want to inspire other kids in Hong Kong to work hard and never give up, you can overcome any challenges." When younger players watch her, she hopes they notice something beyond her shots. "I want them to see that I don't get mad when I lose a point. I hope they learn that staying positive is the best way to play the matches."

Tennis has taught her patience when things get tough, and the importance of working hard even when no one is watching. She's carried those lessons off the court too. There was a difficult test that made her want to quit, but she reminded herself how she has to practise tennis shots over and over to get them right. So she studied every night and ended up doing fine. It's the kind of quiet application that defines her approach.

Beyond rankings and trophies, tennis has shaped her into someone who can handle pressure and stay positive when things get difficult. If she could go back and talk to her younger self just starting out, her advice would be simple: "Just have fun and not stress so much about winning." And at the end of it all, when asked to sum up what tennis means to her, Winky finished the sentence in her own words: "Tennis has given me the power to never give up and the confidence to know I can overcome any challenges."

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.