Minhang in Motion: Powered by Rolex Masters

The Rolex Shanghai Masters has evolved into a premier tennis event in Asia and a globally recognized benchmark for the sport. It serves not only as a key window for Shanghai's opening to the outside world but also as a shining showcase of the vitality of Minhang District.

While foreign tennis fans arrive at the venue, they also encountered Minhang.

"I hope the Russian tennis players can win, and I also hope to see many exciting matches," Semen Sagalov said.

On the first day of the tournament, Sagalov arrived at the Qizhong Tennis Center with his father. The two had just arrived in Shanghai from Russia that day and went straight to the court venue.

Before their trip, the duo made a list of places to visit, such as Deqiu Lixiang Valley Cultural and Creative Park. Their itinerary was planned well in advance: watch the games on the 5th, and visit the park on the 6th. Early the next morning, the father and son followed their plan, took a photo in front of the castle, and then went to the café for coffee.

For James from the United Kingdom, the tournament has long been a part of his life. "I've been to this tournament several times," he stated. Having lived in Shanghai for 10 years, James is no stranger to the Qizhong Tennis Center.

During his time here, James has already built his own "city map" in the area. On weekend evenings, he often goes to the Foreigners' Street with his friends. The restaurants and bars of various countries on that street allow the Englishman to find familiar flavors even in a foreign land.

He stopped at the Maqiao Cultural and Creative Exhibition booth outside the venue and was captivated by the local cultural and creative products. He was surprised to find that Minhang is home to many wonderful crafts.

Nadir, the wife of Argentine player Marco Trungelliti, accompanied her husband to the Rolex Shanghai Masters with their son. Outside of the competition, she took her son to stroll along Qibao Old Street.

"I've always loved Chinese culture," she noted, adding that transportation was convenient, and the staff very friendly. "It would be even better if the venue had more play areas suitable for children; that's very important to us."

A South Korean family from Qibao was also among the audience and the tournament was more like a family holiday activity.

Having lived in Minhang for many years, they have witnessed the changes firsthand. The familiar Korean Street has undergone a major renovation this year – new coffee shops, beauty stores, and bakeries have opened. Going to the Korean Street for a barbecue and a supermarket on weekends has long been a part of the family's life.

The tournament, which gets more lively every year, allows the family to meet faces from all over the world right at their doorstep.

Grant Lynch from Australia is one of the first timers to visit Minhang because of the event. He was a member of the event's environmental monitoring team and it was his first visit to Shanghai. He was staying at the Renji Hotel which is about a 20-minute walk from the venue.

To his surprise, Minhang was quieter and more refreshing than he had imagined. "The greenery here is excellent ," he said, adding that he plans to visit Pujiang Country Park after finishing his busy schedule, and he would love to come back and explore Minhang properly.

Beyond the Main Venue

The Rolex Shanghai Masters extended well beyond the main venue.

The Highlight Maqiao Outdoor Market, a part of the Maqiao Tennis Culture Month, is held at the Lianzhong Commercial Complex, drawing visitors and tennis lovers as well as residents nearby.

The Maqiao Tennis Culture Month runs for 32 days, and offers tennis lessons, a Masters tournament experience camp, an outdoor market, and a cultural tourism exhibition hall.

The event creates a tennis atmosphere throughout the town and also brings foot traffic to the region, through integrated and targeted discounts covering cultural activities, retail, tourism and exhibitions.

A special bilingual tourism passport "This is Maqiao 2026" is offered for visitors, featuring touring guides as well as discount coupons for 26 high-quality merchants across eight categories in the town.

The passports are valid for one year and can be used on both weekdays and weekends, allowing repeated visits, especially for those who want to seek leisure activities.

Sport event drives urban regeneration and vitality

Since 2005, when the Qizhong Tennis Center, then the largest in Asia, became a Shanghai landmark and marked a new era for tennis in China, renovations have been underway.

The renovation of Hall 2 at the tennis center and construction of the new outdoor court No. 17 were completed in recent years to meet the rising demand for sporting events and set a new standard for the city's public sports spaces.

The refurbishment of the athletes' area, the upgrade of the food court, the upgrade of the bathing areas, the refurbishment of the press conference room, and the repair of the flooring in the Central Arena and Hall 2 have also been completed.

Beyond the venues, the spaces surrounding Hall 2 were also upgraded, and interactive experience zones and camping spectator areas have been added, while retaining pet-friendly zones.

As a multi-faceted experiential space, Qizhong Tennis Center has gone beyond "meeting competition requirements" to "serving the entire city."

By building new venues, opening tennis schools, and attracting more tournaments, Minhang hopes to create a year-round professional, junior, and amateur competition system.

It aims to coordinate event organization, talent development, industry clustering, and national fitness initiatives to transform the Qizhong Tennis Center and its surroundings from a "venue for the tournament" into a "hub for the tennis industry."

Allowing visitors a long-term view of the tennis town

The cultural and tourism exhibition hall in front of the Food Court was packed with visitors taking photos with Minhang mascots and cultural installations.

Minhang's cultural and creative products, including exquisite "Ma Yaya" badges and other adorable soft toys, were the main items on sale in the exhibition hall.

Ms Si, who had come to watch the match, liked a Maqiao dried tofu keyring: "It's quite interesting to see traditional local specialties made into little keyrings, which are easy to carry around or attach to my mobile phone."

Visitors could take home a Minhang souvenir, bringing back memories of the tournament and local culture.

These initiatives are a microcosm of Minhang's district-wide collaboration.

During the National Day holiday, Minhang launched around 40 exclusive discounts and benefits for ticket stubs.

Scenic spots, cultural and museum venues, and cinemas within the district implemented a ticket-stub linkage scheme, allowing residents and visitors to enjoy corresponding exclusive discounts upon presentation of their Masters Tournament match tickets.

For example, 11 cinemas in the district offered film packages ranging from 9.9 yuan(US$1.5) to 119 yuan, extending a single match-going experience into a diverse range of urban leisure activities and driving the conversion of tournament footfall into consumption across the entire district.

Public service and facilities offer solid support

All 26 organizations and government departments, including the police, public transport, health and hygiene, and urban greenery and environment departments, worked together to make the event a success and welcome international visitors.

Nearly 70 percent of the spectators at the Rolex Shanghai Masters are traveling from out of town.

Two dedicated bus routes, one metro express bus, and several shuttle services from transport hubs to tournament venues helped spectators get around.

Nearly 10,000 spectators leave the venue after each game, and the average time has been reduced from 1.5 hours to 40 minutes thanks to security improvements. The public security authorities use the smart passenger flow detection system of the main venue, neighboring activity zones, and surrounding roads to detect overcrowding and congestion and implement temporary road control measures.

Three fire engines are stationed in the surrounding area, with 37 firefighters on 24-hour standby. In response to the increase in the number of new energy vehicles, the fire service has also set up additional emergency fire-fighting points at five outdoor car parks, fully equipping them with specialist equipment.

With regard to food safety, the district market regulation bureau deployed 272 personnel to ensure the safety of over 200,000 meals served.

Shanghai has hosted top-tier tournaments for two or three decades, and tennis has grown from a niche sport to a popular one.

At Shanghai Maqiao Qiangshu School, tennis practice begins at half-past seven every morning.

Headmaster Ao Zhongming follows the moves of young students. He takes pride in the tennis team, which just won two gold medals at the 18th Shanghai Games.

The school is a nationally recognized "Tennis Specialized School for Juvenile" and "Minhang District Tennis Talent Development Base" that has integrated tennis into its curriculum, making it a daily part of life for many children. "We hope to inspire more children to love sport, to plant deep roots for tennis on campus, and to spread it worldwide," said Ao.

Since 2014, several schools have launched specialized tennis programs, and over thirty have joined the district's youth tennis league. A tiered training system of primary, junior, senior, and sports colleges is emerging.

Minhang has 314 tennis courts and 229,000 square meters of indoor facilities. By 2030, the district sports bureau plans to add 300,000 square meters to its 6,401,400-square-meter sports facilities and optimize the "15-minute sports lifestyle circle" network.

The district hosts over 1,500 events of various levels and types annually, attracting over 500,000 participants. Residents are no longer just spectators, and they now step onto the court to experience the joy of swinging a racket.