Tennis in China
Encyclopedia
Tennis
in China
is a rapidly growing sport that has received much private
and public
support, and has today become firmly entrenched in the Chinese consciousness as one of the most popular. Tennis is now the third-most popular sport on television in China, behind Association football and basketball
. The national governing body is the China Tennis Association.
China has 30,000 tennis courts and an estimated 14 million people in China regularly play tennis, up from 1 million when the sport returned to the Olympics in 1988
, according to the WTA Tour. The Chinese government is aiming to increase that by 15 percent every year. The nation’s tennis market has reached $4 billion annually, according to Tom Cannon
, a professor and sports finance expert at the University of Liverpool Management School in England.
The women’s tour last year upgraded the China Open
in Beijing to become the only combined event with the men’s tour in Asia. Played at the Beijing Olympic Tennis Center with combined prize money of $6.6 million and a main stadium that holds 10,000 spectators, the China Open is now one of the WTA’s top four tournaments. The ATP’s other flagship tournament in Asia is the $3.24 million Shanghai Masters
.
In 2009 starting with the international clinic which is held at Eugene, Oregon, U.S.A, four selected players (2 boys and two girls) from “Swing for the stars” and two coaches from junior group are going to participate in a four-week high-level tennis training and enjoy the thoughtful hospitality under the cares from coach Jeff Bearup and a special guest – former champion of Davis cup Dennis Ralston.
In 2009, provincial and municipal “Swing for the stars” tennis clinic will be expend to 8 cities(doubled 2008). Then more 12 years old and under players are going to have chance to participate in a five-day most advanced, best tennis training, the whole training plan and teaching conception is designed by the best junior tennis coach of U.S.A for junior tennis player, and all trained in person by provincial outstanding junior tennis coaches who have participated in Jeff Bearup’s training course. At the same time, ”Swing for the stars” junior clinic will continue to provide online interactive and other characteristic services.
Meanwhile, the Mercedes-Benz “Swing for the Stars” Junior Coaches Seminar with the aim of providing high-level tennis teaching philosophy is a new addition to the highly successful “Swing for the Stars” Program. The SFS advanced coaching seminars will be conducted by international coach Josh Rilla and Coach Liu Shuo using the SFS method as developed by Coach Jeff Bearup centering around "High Performance". Meanwhile we’ll pick two excellent coaches from each station to participate the National Coaches Advanced Seminars when Bearup will give more profound training and instruction in person.
The year will conclude with the national training camp as part of the"Mercedes-Benz Cup" China Tennis Grand Prix. The instruction will once again be led by Bearup and we'll pick two male players and two female players (4 in total) to attend a week-long top-class tennis training course. After the national camp, 4 players (2 male and 2 female) together with two coaches will be selected to participate in the international camp in Eugene, US. All the participants will enjoy a wonderful time with coach Jeff Bearup.
view the detail China Tennis Official Website http://www.chinatennis.org.cn
The CRT will be divided into three levels of proficiency to sharpen its competitive edge, similar to a boxing competition with different weight classes. It will feature singles, doubles and mixed doubles play. Winners of each competition level will battle for the national trophy during the newly promoted China Open
tournament that runs from Oct 1-11.
The tournament will be divided into six regions, with seven cities hosting competition. The regions and cities include: North (Beijing
), Northeast (Shenyang
), Central (Wuhan
), East (Shanghai
), South (Guangzhou
) and West (Kunming
and Chengdu
).
Amateurs and retired professionals of any age – or nationality – are invited to apply to compete in the CRT via the league's official website.
. Secondly, there has been the emergence of higher ranked players from other parts of Asia, such as Japan, India, Thailand
and Indonesia
all of whom spur competition and standard of play. Thirdly, the investment of the International Tennis Federation
and the Chinese Tennis Association
in the development of the grass-roots game has been crucial. And finally there are the Beijing Olympics, considered as a way to raise the profile of sports in China.
When tennis became a fully-fledged Olympic sport, the government began to invest money in the sport. This became a trend in may parts of the world, such as Russia, Serbia and Croatia. Funds were also secured to send teams of players overseas. The women's national team soon reached the elite World Group in the Fed Cup
. With funding issues taken care of, the players and their coaches were able to concentrate totally on training and preparation. New programs were introduced for speed and stamina training and for developing technical expertise.
While Chinese women players dominate the scene today, it was the men who made the initial breakthrough. In 2003, at the Heineken Open in Shanghai, wildcards Zeng Shaoxuan
and Zhu Benqiang made an important advance. They became the first players from China to reach a tour-level doubles final.
Li Ting and Sun Tiantian
won the doubles gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
In 2006, more tennis history was written when Zheng Jie
and Yan Zi
won doubles at the Australian Open and Wimbledon. Li Na
at the same Wimbledon year, became the first Chinese player to reach a Grand Slam singles quarter-final and also the first player from China to be ranked in the world's top 20. Li Na and Zheng Jie were also the first players to compete in an all-Chinese final - in Estoril
(Portugal) in 2006. At Wimbledon
in 2008, Zheng Jie
became first Chinese player ever to reach semifinals of a Grand Slam singles tournament, and in 2009, became the first Chinese player to be ranked in the world's top 15, as world number 15.
During the 2010 Australian Open
, Li Na
and compatriot Zheng Jie
made history for becoming the first two Chinese players to reach the top four of a Grand Slam
tournament simultaneously. The media dubbed the players as the two "Golden Flowers," and many heralded their feat as a breakthrough for Chinese tennis. In 2011, Li Na became the first player to reach the final of the Australian Open but was unable to take the title. Months later, Li returned to a Grand Slam final at the French Open and won her first Grand Slam singles title, thus becoming the first player from Asia to win a Slam. Others have suggested that this feat signals the emergence of China as a tennis power.
, where Michael Chang
aims to nurture young Chinese players in a bid to bring the level of Chinese tennis up to the international standard. He intends to contribute his experience accumulated from playing in world tournaments to the development of tennis in China. Chang is very popular in China, where he is better known by his Mandarin name Zhang Depei. Chang, who retired in 2002, has worked as a coach with Peng Shuai
in 2007.
. The Tennis Masters Cup was first played in Shanghai
in 2002 and was a huge success. So much so it returned in 2005 and will remain a fixture in the Shanghai calendar until 2008 after which the event will move to London.
From 2009, Shanghai will host one of the ATP
's new premier 1000 Series
events - the only city outside North America and Europe to do so.
Since its return in 2005, the Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai has been held at the spectacular Qi Zhong Stadium
, a facility that many believe features the best tennis court in the world. In China, feng shui
plays an important cultural role. Placement and arrangement of space to achieve harmony with the environment was crucial. All this was taken into consideration in the design of Qi Zhong, built on unused land about 32 kilometers from the center of Shanghai
. In less than 18 months the 15,000-seat stadium was constructed with a retractable roof unlike any other in the world. Named after the flower of Shanghai, the "magnolia roof" twists as it opens and closes. It comprises eight panels or "petals" - eight is considered a very lucky number in China.
is to set up its regional office in Beijing
in 2008 and the city has been awarded one of the WTA's premier events. In 2009, the China Open
will be combined event for women and men. It is one of the four mandatory events for the WTA and it will be played at the new Olympic Green Tennis Centre
, built for tennis matches at the 2008 Olympic Games.
Chinese women have won Olympic and Grand Slam doubles titles over the last six years, while Li Na
and Zheng Jie
have made the most significant breakthroughs in singles by reaching semifinals at the Australian Open and Wimbledon. Li was the first Chinese player to break into the top 10 of the women’s game and win a singles grand slam in 2011 at the French Open. China’s Li Ting and Sun Tian Tian won the women’s doubles gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics. In 2006, Zheng and Yan Zi became the country’s first Grand Slam champions, taking the women’s doubles titles at the Australian Open and Wimbledon. At the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Zheng and Yan got a bronze medal in the women’s doubles. China now has three women inside the top 50.
On the men's side, currently only Zhang Ze (339) and Zeng Shaoxuan (440) occupy positions inside the top 500 in the singles rankings.
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
in China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
is a rapidly growing sport that has received much private
Private sector
In economics, the private sector is that part of the economy, sometimes referred to as the citizen sector, which is run by private individuals or groups, usually as a means of enterprise for profit, and is not controlled by the state...
and public
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
support, and has today become firmly entrenched in the Chinese consciousness as one of the most popular. Tennis is now the third-most popular sport on television in China, behind Association football and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
. The national governing body is the China Tennis Association.
China has 30,000 tennis courts and an estimated 14 million people in China regularly play tennis, up from 1 million when the sport returned to the Olympics in 1988
1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
, according to the WTA Tour. The Chinese government is aiming to increase that by 15 percent every year. The nation’s tennis market has reached $4 billion annually, according to Tom Cannon
Tom Cannon
Tom Cannon is Professor of Strategic Development at the University of Liverpool Management School. He is considered to be an expert on Sports finance, economics and business notably professional sports like soccer, F1, cricket, rugby , tennis, horse-racing, American football and is often featured...
, a professor and sports finance expert at the University of Liverpool Management School in England.
The women’s tour last year upgraded the China Open
China Open (tennis)
The China Open is an annual professional tennis tournament held in Beijing, China. The men's singles and doubles events were first held in 1993, the year in which the Qatar Open and Dubai Tennis Championships were also introduced to the men's tour, as the ATP opened a series of new tournaments in...
in Beijing to become the only combined event with the men’s tour in Asia. Played at the Beijing Olympic Tennis Center with combined prize money of $6.6 million and a main stadium that holds 10,000 spectators, the China Open is now one of the WTA’s top four tournaments. The ATP’s other flagship tournament in Asia is the $3.24 million Shanghai Masters
Shanghai Masters (tennis)
The Shanghai Masters is a professional tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It is currently part of the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 of the Association of Tennis Professionals World Tour. It is held annually in October at the Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena in Shanghai, People's...
.
"Swing For The Stars" China tennis junior development program
"Swing For The Stars" China tennis junior development program launched in 2007, and gave tennis training courses to about 400 players at 12 years old and under and over 100 coaches from different provinces, nationwide. At the same time,on-line counselling and activities are also key parts of the item, over 2,900,000 people took advantages of high-efficient tennis training mode which was taught by Jeff Bearup, an elite coach of USTA.In 2009 starting with the international clinic which is held at Eugene, Oregon, U.S.A, four selected players (2 boys and two girls) from “Swing for the stars” and two coaches from junior group are going to participate in a four-week high-level tennis training and enjoy the thoughtful hospitality under the cares from coach Jeff Bearup and a special guest – former champion of Davis cup Dennis Ralston.
In 2009, provincial and municipal “Swing for the stars” tennis clinic will be expend to 8 cities(doubled 2008). Then more 12 years old and under players are going to have chance to participate in a five-day most advanced, best tennis training, the whole training plan and teaching conception is designed by the best junior tennis coach of U.S.A for junior tennis player, and all trained in person by provincial outstanding junior tennis coaches who have participated in Jeff Bearup’s training course. At the same time, ”Swing for the stars” junior clinic will continue to provide online interactive and other characteristic services.
Meanwhile, the Mercedes-Benz “Swing for the Stars” Junior Coaches Seminar with the aim of providing high-level tennis teaching philosophy is a new addition to the highly successful “Swing for the Stars” Program. The SFS advanced coaching seminars will be conducted by international coach Josh Rilla and Coach Liu Shuo using the SFS method as developed by Coach Jeff Bearup centering around "High Performance". Meanwhile we’ll pick two excellent coaches from each station to participate the National Coaches Advanced Seminars when Bearup will give more profound training and instruction in person.
The year will conclude with the national training camp as part of the"Mercedes-Benz Cup" China Tennis Grand Prix. The instruction will once again be led by Bearup and we'll pick two male players and two female players (4 in total) to attend a week-long top-class tennis training course. After the national camp, 4 players (2 male and 2 female) together with two coaches will be selected to participate in the international camp in Eugene, US. All the participants will enjoy a wonderful time with coach Jeff Bearup.
view the detail China Tennis Official Website http://www.chinatennis.org.cn
China Open Rating Tour
The China Open Rating Tour (CRT) is to be launched in April 2009. The CRT is the new national amateur tennis league and is an effort to spur greater interest in tennis at the grassroots level.The CRT will be divided into three levels of proficiency to sharpen its competitive edge, similar to a boxing competition with different weight classes. It will feature singles, doubles and mixed doubles play. Winners of each competition level will battle for the national trophy during the newly promoted China Open
China Open (tennis)
The China Open is an annual professional tennis tournament held in Beijing, China. The men's singles and doubles events were first held in 1993, the year in which the Qatar Open and Dubai Tennis Championships were also introduced to the men's tour, as the ATP opened a series of new tournaments in...
tournament that runs from Oct 1-11.
The tournament will be divided into six regions, with seven cities hosting competition. The regions and cities include: North (Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
), Northeast (Shenyang
Shenyang
Shenyang , or Mukden , is the capital and largest city of Liaoning Province in Northeast China. Currently holding sub-provincial administrative status, the city was once known as Shengjing or Fengtianfu...
), Central (Wuhan
Wuhan
Wuhan is the capital of Hubei province, People's Republic of China, and is the most populous city in Central China. It lies at the east of the Jianghan Plain, and the intersection of the middle reaches of the Yangtze and Han rivers...
), East (Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
), South (Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
) and West (Kunming
Kunming
' is the capital and largest city of Yunnan Province in Southwest China. It was known as Yunnan-Fou until the 1920s. A prefecture-level city, it is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of Yunnan, and is the seat of the provincial government...
and Chengdu
Chengdu
Chengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...
).
Amateurs and retired professionals of any age – or nationality – are invited to apply to compete in the CRT via the league's official website.
Overview and history
Overall there are four fundamental reasons that have contributed to the growth of tennis in China. Firstly, the national economy has improved enormously and the booming middle class sees tennis as a family sport and a way to improve social statusSocial status
In sociology or anthropology, social status is the honor or prestige attached to one's position in society . It may also refer to a rank or position that one holds in a group, for example son or daughter, playmate, pupil, etc....
. Secondly, there has been the emergence of higher ranked players from other parts of Asia, such as Japan, India, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
and Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
all of whom spur competition and standard of play. Thirdly, the investment of the International Tennis Federation
International Tennis Federation
The International Tennis Federation is the governing body of world tennis, made up of 205 national tennis associations.It was established as the International Lawn Tennis Federation by 12 national associations meeting at a conference in Paris, France on 1 March 1913...
and the Chinese Tennis Association
Chinese Tennis Association
The Chinese Tennis Association is the national governing body of tennis in China. It is a non-profit, non-governmental organization. It is a cooperative member of the All-China Sports Federation. The CTA is an independent legal person and it is recognized by China Olympic Committee...
in the development of the grass-roots game has been crucial. And finally there are the Beijing Olympics, considered as a way to raise the profile of sports in China.
When tennis became a fully-fledged Olympic sport, the government began to invest money in the sport. This became a trend in may parts of the world, such as Russia, Serbia and Croatia. Funds were also secured to send teams of players overseas. The women's national team soon reached the elite World Group in the Fed Cup
Fed Cup
Fed Cup is the premier team competition in women's tennis, launched in 1963 to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the International Tennis Federation...
. With funding issues taken care of, the players and their coaches were able to concentrate totally on training and preparation. New programs were introduced for speed and stamina training and for developing technical expertise.
While Chinese women players dominate the scene today, it was the men who made the initial breakthrough. In 2003, at the Heineken Open in Shanghai, wildcards Zeng Shaoxuan
Zeng Shaoxuan
Zeng Shaoxuan is a Chinese male tennis player. He competed for China at the 2008 Summer Olympics in the men's singles and men's doubles with partner Yu Xinyuan....
and Zhu Benqiang made an important advance. They became the first players from China to reach a tour-level doubles final.
Li Ting and Sun Tiantian
Sun Tiantian
Sun Tiantian is a Chinese female tennis player.- Career :In September 2000, Tiantian won two successive US$10,000 ITF singles titles, a feat she would repeat in June 2001, when she won another two back-to-back....
won the doubles gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
In 2006, more tennis history was written when Zheng Jie
Zheng Jie
Zheng Jie is a Chinese professional tennis player. Her career high ranking is World No. 15 which she achieved on May 18, 2009. As of August 15, 2011, Zheng is ranked World No. 65 in singles and World No. 20 in doubles....
and Yan Zi
Yan Zi
Yan Zi is a Chinese women's tennis player.Yan Zi may also refer to:* Stefanie Sun , also known as Sun Yan Zi, Singaporean singer** Yan Zi , Sun's self-titled album...
won doubles at the Australian Open and Wimbledon. Li Na
Li Na (tennis)
Li Na , goes first before the equivalent of a first name in some other nations. Her name off court in China is Li Na. When listed on the , she is known as Na Li. However, in the match, the commentators call her Li Na, and when her full name is listed in text on court, it is also written as Li Na.;...
at the same Wimbledon year, became the first Chinese player to reach a Grand Slam singles quarter-final and also the first player from China to be ranked in the world's top 20. Li Na and Zheng Jie were also the first players to compete in an all-Chinese final - in Estoril
Estoril
Estoril is a seaside resort and civil parish of the Portuguese municipality of Cascais, Lisboa District. The Estoril coast is close to Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. It starts in Carcavelos, 15 kilometres from Lisbon, and stretches as far as Guincho, often known as Costa de Estoril-Sintra or...
(Portugal) in 2006. At Wimbledon
2008 Wimbledon Championships
The 2008 Wimbledon Championships was a tennis tournament played on outdoor grass courts. It was the 122nd edition of the Wimbledon Championships, and the third Grand Slam event of the year...
in 2008, Zheng Jie
Zheng Jie
Zheng Jie is a Chinese professional tennis player. Her career high ranking is World No. 15 which she achieved on May 18, 2009. As of August 15, 2011, Zheng is ranked World No. 65 in singles and World No. 20 in doubles....
became first Chinese player ever to reach semifinals of a Grand Slam singles tournament, and in 2009, became the first Chinese player to be ranked in the world's top 15, as world number 15.
During the 2010 Australian Open
2010 Australian Open
The 2010 Australian Open was a tennis tournament that took place in Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia, from 18 to 31 January. It was the 98th edition of the Australian Open, and the first Grand Slam event of the year....
, Li Na
Li Na (tennis)
Li Na , goes first before the equivalent of a first name in some other nations. Her name off court in China is Li Na. When listed on the , she is known as Na Li. However, in the match, the commentators call her Li Na, and when her full name is listed in text on court, it is also written as Li Na.;...
and compatriot Zheng Jie
Zheng Jie
Zheng Jie is a Chinese professional tennis player. Her career high ranking is World No. 15 which she achieved on May 18, 2009. As of August 15, 2011, Zheng is ranked World No. 65 in singles and World No. 20 in doubles....
made history for becoming the first two Chinese players to reach the top four of a Grand Slam
Grand Slam (tennis)
The four Major tennis tournaments, also called the Slams, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world tour ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, strength and size of player field, and public attention. They are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and...
tournament simultaneously. The media dubbed the players as the two "Golden Flowers," and many heralded their feat as a breakthrough for Chinese tennis. In 2011, Li Na became the first player to reach the final of the Australian Open but was unable to take the title. Months later, Li returned to a Grand Slam final at the French Open and won her first Grand Slam singles title, thus becoming the first player from Asia to win a Slam. Others have suggested that this feat signals the emergence of China as a tennis power.
Academies
The Michael Chang Mission Hills Tennis Academy (which has 50 courts) opened in 2008 in ShenzhenShenzhen
Shenzhen is a major city in the south of Southern China's Guangdong Province, situated immediately north of Hong Kong. The area became China's first—and one of the most successful—Special Economic Zones...
, where Michael Chang
Michael Chang
Michael Te-Pei Chang is a former American professional tennis player. He is best remembered for becoming the youngest-ever male player to win a Grand Slam singles title when he won the French Open in 1989 at the age of 17....
aims to nurture young Chinese players in a bid to bring the level of Chinese tennis up to the international standard. He intends to contribute his experience accumulated from playing in world tournaments to the development of tennis in China. Chang is very popular in China, where he is better known by his Mandarin name Zhang Depei. Chang, who retired in 2002, has worked as a coach with Peng Shuai
Peng Shuai
Peng Shuai is a Chinese professional female tennis player. She won a gold medal at the 2010 Asian Games, defeating Akgul Amanmuradova in the final...
in 2007.
Events and tournaments
China hosts one of the world's biggest, most prestigious and richest events, the Tennis Masters CupTennis Masters Cup
The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals is a tennis tournament played at the end of each year, involving the top eight players in the men's tennis world rankings....
. The Tennis Masters Cup was first played in Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
in 2002 and was a huge success. So much so it returned in 2005 and will remain a fixture in the Shanghai calendar until 2008 after which the event will move to London.
From 2009, Shanghai will host one of the ATP
Association of Tennis Professionals
The Association of Tennis Professionals or ATP was formed in 1972 by Donald Dell, Jack Kramer, and Cliff Drysdale to protect the interests of male professional tennis players. Since 1990, the association has organized the worldwide tennis tour for men and linked the title of the tour with the...
's new premier 1000 Series
ATP World Tour Masters 1000
The ATP World Tour Masters 1000 is a series of nine tennis tournaments that are part of the Association of Tennis Professionals tour, held annually throughout the year in Europe, North America and Asia...
events - the only city outside North America and Europe to do so.
- 2002 Tennis Masters Cup2002 Tennis Masters CupThe 2002 Tennis Masters Cup was a tennis tournament played on indoor hard courts. It was the 33rd edition of the year-end singles championships and was part of the 2002 ATP Tour. It took place at the Shanghai New International Expo Center in Shanghai in the People's Republic of China from November...
- 2005 Tennis Masters Cup2005 Tennis Masters CupThe 2005 Tennis Masters Cup was a tennis tournament played on indoor carpet courts. It was the 36th edition of the year-end singles championships, the 31st edition of the year-end doubles championships, and was part of the 2005 ATP Tour...
- 2006 Tennis Masters Cup2006 Tennis Masters CupThe 2006 Tennis Masters Cup was a tennis tournament played on indoor hard courts. It was the 37th edition of the year-end singles championships, the 32nd edition of the year-end doubles championships, and was part of the 2006 ATP Tour...
- 2007 Tennis Masters Cup2007 Tennis Masters CupThe 2007 Tennis Masters Cup was a tennis tournament played on indoor hard courts. It was the 38th edition of the year-end singles championships, the 33rd edition of the year-end doubles championships, and was part of the 2007 ATP Tour...
- 2008 Tennis Masters Cup2008 Tennis Masters CupThe 2008 Tennis Masters Cup was a tennis tournament played on indoor hard courts. It was the 39th edition of the year-end singles championships, the 34th edition of the year-end doubles championships, and part of the 2008 ATP Tour...
- China Open (tennis)China Open (tennis)The China Open is an annual professional tennis tournament held in Beijing, China. The men's singles and doubles events were first held in 1993, the year in which the Qatar Open and Dubai Tennis Championships were also introduced to the men's tour, as the ATP opened a series of new tournaments in...
- Hong Kong Open (tennis)Hong Kong Open (tennis)The Hong Kong Open is a defunct tennis tournament that was held in Hong Kong on the Grand Prix tour from and the ATP Tour from...
- Guangzhou International Women's OpenGuangzhou International Women's OpenThe Guangzhou International Women's Open is a tennis tournament held in Guangzhou, People's Republic of China. Held since 2004, the inaugural tournament had Li Na as the first ever Chinese singles title winner. -Singles:-Doubles:-External links:* *...
- JB Group Classic
- Heineken Open Shanghai
- Tennis at the 2008 Summer OlympicsTennis at the 2008 Summer OlympicsTennis competitions at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing were held from August 10 to August 17 at the Olympic Green Tennis Centre. The DecoTurf surface rendered the event a hardcourt tournament....
- China Tennis Grand Prix
Venues
- Beijing Tennis CenterBeijing Tennis CenterBeijing Tennis Center is a tennis venue in Beijing, China. It once hosted the China Open from 2004 till 2008. However, it has not hosted the tournament since; in 2009 the China Open was moved to the newer Olympic Green Tennis Center, with the latter venue hosting the China Open from the 2009...
- Olympic Green Tennis CentreOlympic Green Tennis CentreThe Olympic Green Tennis Center or Beijing Olympic Green Tennis Court , is a tennis centre located in the Olympic Green. It opened on 1 October 2007...
- Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena
Since its return in 2005, the Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai has been held at the spectacular Qi Zhong Stadium
Qi Zhong Stadium
The Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena, also known as Qi Zhong stadium, is an arena in Shanghai, People's Republic of China.The complex is located on an 80-hectare area, in the southwest of Shanghai, the Minhang District....
, a facility that many believe features the best tennis court in the world. In China, feng shui
Feng shui
Feng shui ' is a Chinese system of geomancy believed to use the laws of both Heaven and Earth to help one improve life by receiving positive qi. The original designation for the discipline is Kan Yu ....
plays an important cultural role. Placement and arrangement of space to achieve harmony with the environment was crucial. All this was taken into consideration in the design of Qi Zhong, built on unused land about 32 kilometers from the center of Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
. In less than 18 months the 15,000-seat stadium was constructed with a retractable roof unlike any other in the world. Named after the flower of Shanghai, the "magnolia roof" twists as it opens and closes. It comprises eight panels or "petals" - eight is considered a very lucky number in China.
WTA
The WTAWomen's Tennis Association
The Women's Tennis Association , founded in 1973 by Billie Jean King, is the principal organizing body of Women's Professional Tennis. It governs the WTA Tour which is the worldwide professional tennis tour for women. Its counterpart organization in the men's professional game is the Association of...
is to set up its regional office in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
in 2008 and the city has been awarded one of the WTA's premier events. In 2009, the China Open
China Open (tennis)
The China Open is an annual professional tennis tournament held in Beijing, China. The men's singles and doubles events were first held in 1993, the year in which the Qatar Open and Dubai Tennis Championships were also introduced to the men's tour, as the ATP opened a series of new tournaments in...
will be combined event for women and men. It is one of the four mandatory events for the WTA and it will be played at the new Olympic Green Tennis Centre
Olympic Green Tennis Centre
The Olympic Green Tennis Center or Beijing Olympic Green Tennis Court , is a tennis centre located in the Olympic Green. It opened on 1 October 2007...
, built for tennis matches at the 2008 Olympic Games.
Notable players
See: Chinese tennis playersChinese women have won Olympic and Grand Slam doubles titles over the last six years, while Li Na
Li Na (tennis)
Li Na , goes first before the equivalent of a first name in some other nations. Her name off court in China is Li Na. When listed on the , she is known as Na Li. However, in the match, the commentators call her Li Na, and when her full name is listed in text on court, it is also written as Li Na.;...
and Zheng Jie
Zheng Jie
Zheng Jie is a Chinese professional tennis player. Her career high ranking is World No. 15 which she achieved on May 18, 2009. As of August 15, 2011, Zheng is ranked World No. 65 in singles and World No. 20 in doubles....
have made the most significant breakthroughs in singles by reaching semifinals at the Australian Open and Wimbledon. Li was the first Chinese player to break into the top 10 of the women’s game and win a singles grand slam in 2011 at the French Open. China’s Li Ting and Sun Tian Tian won the women’s doubles gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics. In 2006, Zheng and Yan Zi became the country’s first Grand Slam champions, taking the women’s doubles titles at the Australian Open and Wimbledon. At the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Zheng and Yan got a bronze medal in the women’s doubles. China now has three women inside the top 50.
On the men's side, currently only Zhang Ze (339) and Zeng Shaoxuan (440) occupy positions inside the top 500 in the singles rankings.
See also
- Sport in the People's Republic of ChinaSport in the People's Republic of ChinaAlthough China has long been associated with the martial arts, sport in China today consists of a small variety of competitive sports played in China, including mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau...
- Chinese Tennis AssociationChinese Tennis AssociationThe Chinese Tennis Association is the national governing body of tennis in China. It is a non-profit, non-governmental organization. It is a cooperative member of the All-China Sports Federation. The CTA is an independent legal person and it is recognized by China Olympic Committee...
- China Open (tennis)China Open (tennis)The China Open is an annual professional tennis tournament held in Beijing, China. The men's singles and doubles events were first held in 1993, the year in which the Qatar Open and Dubai Tennis Championships were also introduced to the men's tour, as the ATP opened a series of new tournaments in...
- Tennis tournaments in China
External links
- A Golden Era for Tennis in China? (China.org.cn by Li Xiao, September 10, 2004)
- China's Aspiring Aces By Hannah Beech in Jiangmen TIME.com Sunday, Jan. 08, 2006.