Original title: 16 Grand Slam champions participate in the largest singles “Chinese team” debut (lead title)
The luxurious lineup of China Open will once again shine as the city’s business card (Theme)
Beijing Daily reporter Zhuoran
In less than a month, the 2024 China Open (hereinafter referred to as “China Open”) will kick off. Yesterday, China Open officially released its player lineup to the world. The largest singles “Chinese team” in the history of the tournament and 16 Grand Slam champions will appear on the China Open this year.
Top international players gathered
In 2004, Li Ting/Sun Tiantian won the women’s doubles championship in the Athens Olympic Games. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, the Chinese tennis team once again made a historic breakthrough, with Zheng Qinwen winning the singles championship for the first time and Zhang Zhizhen/Wang Xinyu winning the mixed doubles silver medal. As the China Open begins its third decade, the outstanding performance of Chinese professional tennis players is once again in sync with the development of the China Open. This year, Zheng Qinwen, Zhang Zhizhen and Wang Xinyu will lead the “Chinese Army” to appear at the China Open, bringing the China Open with the largest number of Chinese players shortlisted for singles. From Li Na and Zheng Jie back then to Zheng Qinwen and Zhang Zhizhen today, more and more Chinese players are standing on the China Open court, and the rise of Chinese tennis has been further demonstrated at the China Open.
As a “beautiful city card”, the influence of China Open, which has been rooted in Beijing for 20 years, has changed a lot. The total prize money of this year’s China Open has reached a new high, exceeding 13.14 million US dollars, attracting a large number of top international tennis players. Among the men’s players directly shortlisted, 6 of the top ten singles players in the world will attend. Among the top five players in the world, Sinner, Alcaraz, Zverev and Medvedev will participate. As a WTA 1000 mandatory tournament, the top 76 women’s singles players in the world will also gather at the China Open, including 11 Grand Slam women’s singles champions, including Swiatek, Sabalenka, Gauff, Rybakina, Krejcikova, Ostapenko, Azarenka, Kenin, Stephens, Wozniacki and Raducanu. In addition to Alcaraz, Sinner, Medvedev who are directly shortlisted for the men’s list, and Naomi Osaka and Wawrinka who will participate with wild cards, a total of 16 Grand Slam champions will participate in this year’s China Open.
Event service experience upgrade
At the Paris Olympics, Chinese tennis achieved historic breakthroughs one after another. Tennis became a hot word for a while, and naturally the upcoming 2024 China Open also attracted much attention.
As the most leading tennis tournament in the Asia-Pacific region, the China Open was held during the Chinese National Day holiday. Many spectators came to the National Tennis Center not only to watch the games, but also to enjoy the high-quality tournament atmosphere. For this reason, this year’s China Open set “making the ticket-buying spectators feel that the ticket is worth the price” as an important goal of the tournament service.
To enhance the viewing experience, China Open has launched an upgraded version of the China Open Mini Program. Through the Mini Program, spectators can enjoy one-stop service and book and purchase tickets anytime and anywhere. During the competition, spectators can view real-time score information, use AR navigation to find destinations, and reserve meals on the Mini Program. This year, more than 20 catering service providers will provide Chinese and Western cuisine, light meals and specialty drinks, and more than 40 dining stations will be located inside and outside the venue.
In addition, the China Open Organizing Committee has also worked hard to create two unique viewing squares this year. The “Fans Gathering Field” located in the West Square is about 3,000 square meters, with a 360-degree circular screen placed on the lawn, allowing fans to experience the pleasant holiday of the China Open. The Red Clay Garden, which is open to the audience for the first time, will bring sunset concerts every evening.
The luxurious player lineup, improved event quality, and iteration of venue hardware will undoubtedly further polish the China Open as a city business card this fall, allowing more international players to get to know and understand the city of Beijing through the China Open.
