Photo: VCG

The world women's tennis governing body, the WTA, announced Thursday it will resume tournaments in China from this September.

Women's tennis competitions have been put on hold in China since 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The updated calendar of the 2023 fall season will be released in the coming weeks, the WTA said in a statement.

China has long been a dominant force in women's tennis.

Zheng Qinwen, 20, currently ranking No.25 in the world, is among the rising stars of the young generation of Chinese female tennis players.

The women's tour hosted nine events in China in 2019. The prestigious China Open, a mandatory event in WTA's China tour, is expected to return, along with events in Wuhan, Li's hometown and Hong Kong as well as the WTA Elite Trophy in Zhuhai.

The most significant of these tournaments is the season-ending WTA Finals, which has a 10-year deal with Shenzhen and offers a record $14 million in prize money.

Men's tennis is also believed to resume, headlined by the Shanghai Masters this year.

International sports competitions have been making a comeback in China this year, with the return of events such as the WTA, athletics' Diamond League, figure skating's Grand Prix, and multi-sport events like the University Games and Asian Games.