Zhuhai Championships To Welcome World-Class Tennis Back To China
The Zhuhai Championships will welcome the return of ATP Tour tennis to China for the first time in four years this September and today announced that former World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev will spearhead the field.
The ATP Tour 250 event, which serves the Greater Bay Area in China comprising 11 major cities and a population of more than 71 million, has secured one of the world’s best players to headline the celebration. Medvedev will make his debut in Zhuhai in the tournament running between 20-26 September 2023.
The 2021 US Open champion has been in brilliant form this season, winning four titles so far including the Miami Open earlier this month. The 27-year-old has won a tour-level title in 19 different cities.
Medvedev is looking forward to demonstrating his brilliance at the Hengqin International Tennis Center, the state-of-the-art facility which hosts the Zhuhai Championships, this year.
“I’m really looking forward to coming back to China and playing at the Hengqin International Tennis Center,” Medvedev said. “I can't wait to see the city and the stadium, both of which I have heard a lot of good things about. It will be great to play again in front of the Chinese fans again after three years away. “I’m looking forward to seeing you all in September."
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The inaugural edition of the ATP Tour 250 tournament in 2019 set a high standard for excellence on and off the court and proved particularly popular with players. An innovative tournament in a nation with a growing passion for tennis, the Zhuhai Championships was an outstanding addition to the international circuit.
The return of the event to the world stage in 2023 promises to set a new bar of merit given the quality of the tennis stars interested in competing in the Zhuhai Championships. Aside from Medvedev, Zhuhai Championships officials have engaged in fruitful discussions with grand slam champions and other top-ranked players about the ATP 250 tournament.
Announcements regarding further major signings for the second edition of the tournament are imminent. As a bonus for local and international fans attending the tournament, the scheduling will be even more consumer friendly and allow greater opportunities to watch matches. Fan-friendly time slots mean patrons attending the weekend sessions will see more singles players in action than in 2019, when the tournament was played from Monday to Sunday.
The move to schedule the semi-finals and championship match on Monday and Tuesday night gives patrons from the region the option to attend elite tennis after finishing work.
Further, the timing of those finals broadens the capacity for audiences watching from afar to view a historic event on the ATP Tour that confirms the return of tennis in China. In the first edition in 2019 claimed by Australian Alex de Minaur, the Zhuhai Championships identified itself as a tournament of quality.
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Alison Lee, who is the ATP Executive Vice-President for the International Region, said she is delighted the Zhuhai Championships has returned to the tour calendar.
“It’s certainly exciting to be returning to China, and we begin the China swing with one of my favourite tournaments in Zhuhai,” she said. “I was fortunate to visit the Zhuhai event in 2019 and experience the city and its surrounding areas. We begin the China swing with one of my favourite events in Zhuhai. I was fortunate to visit the event in 2019 and experience the beautiful city.
“This year, we will see some amazing tennis featuring some of the world’s best players including Daniil Medvedev at the Hengqin Tennis Center. Good luck to everyone and we look forward to seeing you all in September.”
Peter Lv, the Executive Director and General Manager of Huafa Sports, said the Zhuhai Championships provided a great opportunity for the entirety of the Greater Bay Area.
“As the highest level ATP Tour event in the Canton-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area, the 2023 Zhuhai Championships will definitely serve as a great benefit and gift for tennis fans after their three years of waiting,” he said. “As the promoter of the event, Huafa Sports has full confidence and a strong determination to present a high-quality and unique tournament which stands out among global ATP Tour events.”
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Zhuhai Championships tournament director Leon Sun said it was important fans in the Greater Bay Region had the chance to watch the best tennis players in action again.
“It’s great the Zhuhai Championships are back on the ATP Tour calendar this year,” he said. “We’ll certainly bring world-class tennis back again to Zhuhai and the Greater Bay Area and make sure all players and fans have the best possible experience here.”
For further media information, please contact: Peter Johnston via peter@peterjohnstonsports.com or zhuhaichampionshipsmedia@outlook.com
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