Who is Coleman Wong, the Hong Kong player making history at the Miami Open?

MIAMI, USA — Amid feel-good breakthroughs and big-name upsets at the Miami Open presented by Itau, 20-year-old Coleman Wong of Hong Kong has grabbed all the headlines.

Ranked No. 182 in the world, the wild card clinched the biggest win of his career to date with a 7-6 (3), 2-6, 7-6 (5) second-round stunner over No. 13 seed Ben Shelton. One of the pre-tournament favorites, Shelton joins the likes of Carlos Alcaraz, Jack Draper, Holger Rune and more top seeds to be shocked in the early rounds.

“I’m so scared to see my phone at the moment!” Wong later told press, grinning and still taking it all in long after the match concluded.

Read More: Rafael Nadal congratulates academy students Eala, Wong on big Miami wins

Playing on a rocking Court 1 with an atmosphere Wong described as “my team against the whole of Florida,” the Hong Konger edged through tiebreaks in the first and third set. He had to weather 14 aces from Shelton—who won 81% of his first-serve points and hit 35 winners—to claim victory after a grueling two-hour and 17 minutes. Wong fell to the court in celebration, and covered his face as the tears flowed after Shelton’s final lefty forehand struck the net.

“When I started playing tennis when I was five, that’s what I was dreaming about,” Wong said. “Like, to play in the Miami Open, or something like this tournament, against a top player.

“I'm really lucky that I had the chance to play through the wild card and then play against Ben. It was very emotional.”

Trains at the Rafa Nadal Academy

Referring to Rafael Nadal as his “idol," Wong shared the practice court with the 22-time Grand Slam winner himself as a student of his eponymous academy. Coached by James Allemby, Wong has trained in Mallorca since he was 17 years old and was a hitting partner at the ATP 250 grass court event—giving him ample opportunity to test his level against the top players.

But it wasn’t always a rosy experience, as Wong revealed he received brutal feedback from the academy’s team when he first arrived.

“They viewed me as starting from the bottom,” he said, describing his younger self as a player with few weapons: “I just served. I’d just go like, BANG, and that’s it. I didn’t have anything else. Now, slowly, slowly, I think I’m more ‘all around.’”

Made tennis history for Hong Kong in Miami

Wong’s victory wasn’t just a major personal milestone, it also marked a national first: He became the first man representing Hong Kong to defeat a Top 20 player since the ATP rankings were published in 1973.

History has been a theme all week, with Wong’s first-round win over Germany's Daniel Altmaier also marking the first ATP Masters 1000-level win for a player from Hong Kong.

At world No. 182, Wong is also the second-lowest ranked man to reach the third round in Miami, ever. He has a golden opportunity to go even further, as he faces lucky loser Adam Walton next.

Coming a day after fellow academy alum Alexandra Eala toppled No. 25 seed Jelena Ostapenko to claim the Philippines’ biggest win ever (which she topped on Sunday by shocking Australian Open champion Madison Keys), the pair earned effusive congratulations from Nadal on social media.

"There is a lot of effort behind these victories," Nadal wrote on X. "We are very proud of you, Coleman! A historic win for Hong Kong."

One to watch since his days as a touted junior

He may be set to jump up the ATP rankings following his run to the third round, but tennis fans know Wong didn’t come out of nowhere.

A talented junior, Wong took home the US Open boys’ doubles title in 2021 (with Max Westphal) —making him the second player representing Hong Kong ever to claim a Grand Slam title, following Patricia Hy’s 1983 victory at Wimbledon in girls’ doubles—and the Australian Open boys doubles title in 2022 (with Bruno Kuzuhara).

Wong made his ATP Tour debut a year ago in Miami as a qualifier, and in the fall he claimed his first tour-level main draw win in Hangzhou ATP 250 over Wu Yibing. While he’s struggled to regain his consistency as he makes the transition from Challenger events to ATP action, it’s all seemingly come together in Miami.

WATCH: Wong charms Tennis Channel desk after pulling off Shelton upset in Miami

Support from parents has made all the difference

Wong first began playing tennis at five years old in Victoria Park, Hong Kong—the home of the ATP 250 event where he would start his first full-time pro season this year.

He says he didn’t come from a “sporty” family: Wong’s parents are both educators in Hong Kong, with his father, Bruce, a headmaster, and his mom, Dora, a teacher. They, of course, support his academic pursuits as a business student at the University of Hong Kong.

But as he travels halfway around the world—from Hong Kong to Mallorca to Miami, and beyond—it’s been their rock-solid belief in his tennis dream that propels him to new heights.

“(Nadal) is my idol, and I really looked up to him. Since I was young, I was like, I want to go to Rafa’s (academy),” Wong recalled. “I’m really lucky my parents really supported me. I came out of a not really sporty family … I’m so lucky to be playing tennis, and to be playing against the top players in the world.

“I’m really glad that they’ve supported me since I was young, since I first picked up a racquet when I was five in Victoria Park.”