Serving the nation with pride

Head coach Yang is hopeful both doubles pairs are well-equipped to deliver, having played regularly together on the tour.

"Our approach is to combine power on the baseline with agility at the net," said Yang.

"Both of our pairs fit in the combination and have proved that they can be competitive once the chemistry is working."

Xu, a doubles specialist, teamed with Yang Zhaoxuan to win gold at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, while Zheng and Duan reached the 2019 French Open final－China's best run at a major in recent years.

The women's singles draw, meanwhile, is wide open following the withdrawals of a long list of stars, including 23-time major winner Serena Williams, German star Angelique Kerber, 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu of Canada, and Romania's two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep.

China's top ace Wang hopes to maintain her recent momentum with a deep run in Tokyo.

"I spent a long time in the first half of this season to get my game and confidence back after a long break from the tour last year due to the pandemic. I just want to keep it going at the Olympics," said Wang, who reached a WTA final in Parma, Italy in May.

Wang attributes a large part of her improvement to the guidance of new coach Pat Cash, the Australian legend who began working with the 29-year-old in January.

"He's always positive, encouraging me to look at the bright side of not just tennis but also life off the court," said Wang. "My game gets more versatile and aggressive under his watch."

With Cash unable to travel to Tokyo, Wang said the 1987 Wimbledon champion will keep a close eye on her performances at the Games and offer timely tips for her to further improve her serve and shot variety.