People watch the match between Noval Djokovic and Alexander Zverev at the near-capacity Diamond Court stadium in Beijing during the China Open on October 4, 2026. Photo: Courtesy of China Open

For several weeks each autumn, professional tennis in China follows an unusually concentrated route with thousands of fans queuing up to watch elite tennis players compete.

The sequence moves from ATP 250 events in Chengdu and Hangzhou to the China Open in Beijing, an ATP 500 event, before reaching the Shanghai Masters, one of the nine Masters 1000 tournaments on the ATP Tour calendar.

For ATP Tour CEO Eno Polo, the concentration of tournaments is one of the strengths of China's tennis calendar.

"China is a place where you have the 250, the 500, and the 1000 in one swing," Polo told the Global Times in an exclusive interview. "In one country, you start with 250, 500, 1000. That's a great calendar tournament."

Eno Polo Photo: Courtesy of ATP Tour

The three-level structure gives players and fans access to different stages of professional tennis within the same country, while putting China's rising players in closer contact with some of the sport's biggest names.

The upcoming Shanghai Masters, which runs its main draw matches from Wednesday to October 18, is set to feature stars including Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz, while world No.1 Jannik Sinner has withdrawn due to a knee injury.

When he was asked about China's future in tennis, Polo's attention turned beyond the headline events to what he described as the development "supply chain" for young players.

"It's just to make sure that we have enough tournaments below during the rest of the year so that the young Chinese players can develop and come through challenges," he said.

China already has a substantial participation base from which to develop future players.

According to data released by China's Tennis Sports Management Center in 2025, the country had more than 25.18 million tennis participants in 2024, up 28.03 percent from 2021. China also had 53,805 tennis courts and 43,981 coaches.

The survey recorded more than 500,000 young players who had competed in various competitions but were not registered with the national sports administration.

Broad participation 

The 2026 China Open program has also expanded beyond its ATP and WTA competitions, with an ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors J300 tournament and an ITF World Tennis Masters Tour event included in the broader program.

At the professional level, China's men's tennis has already made breakthroughs in recent years.

Wu Yibing became the first Chinese man to win an ATP Tour singles title when he triumphed at the 2023 Dallas Open, while Shang Juncheng followed in 2024 by winning the Chengdu Open.

The results, along with other male Chinese athletes' breakthroughs in major competitions, makes Polo optimistic about the current generation.

"From a technical point of view, and from a physical point of view, I think they have what it takes," he said. "It's a very small difference between where they are and being a top 10 in the world. I don't think there's a big gap anymore."

More opportunities to compete internationally, particularly against established players, could help young Chinese players gain the experience needed to make that next step, according to Polo.

Potential pathways

For Chinese tennis' progress, Polo also pointed to the ATP Challenger level and the tour's Next Gen Accelerator Program as potential parts of that pathway.

"If there're more Challengers in China, they can get the 18-year-old, 17-year-old wildcards into the tournament so that they have a head start," he said.

Facing the growing demand from the players on the ATP Tour calendar, Polo said the ATP's tiered calendar gives players opportunities at every level, from Challengers to Masters 1000s, to build their schedules around their development and commitments. 

He also pointed to development infrastructure as another area where the ATP Tour could contribute. A development center planned in Shanghai, he said, could benefit from the tour's expertise, including coaches and medical personnel.

"It's all about supporting them in that development center, bringing the ATP Tour knowledge and helping them there," he said.

Measuring development

For Polo, the development of tennis in China can also be measured beyond the performance of individual tournaments.

"For me, there's going to be two points of success. It's going to be the growth of the fans and the participation of tennis players," he said.

He also outlined a progression he would like to see from Chinese players themselves: moving "from top 100 to top 50 to top 20 to top 10 to No.1." Reaching younger fans will be part of that process.

Polo said teenagers today consume sports alongside music, gaming and other forms of entertainment, creating a need for tennis to adapt to the way younger audiences use digital platforms.

The ATP Tour has therefore sought to work with Chinese platforms, create local content and cooperate with influencers. Polo said the organization has also brought Chinese influencers to overseas events, including the ATP Finals.

Maintaining that connection is not limited to the weeks when the major tournaments are held, Polo noted.

"What I would like to make sure is that when tennis finishes with the Shanghai Masters, somehow we continue the connection of the ATP Tour in China," he said.

China now has a growing tournament calendar, a large participation base and a group of men's players who have already broken into the ATP Tour's winner's circle.

"I think China's on the way where time for China will come soon," Polo said.