Minhang Spearheads Shanghai's Tennis Revolution

On October 3, 2005, as Roger Federer, then the world's top-ranked men's tennis player, and Yang Xiaodu, then Vice Mayor of Shanghai, jointly pressed the activation button, the eight petal-shaped roof panels of the central court at Qizhong Tennis Center slowly unfolded in Maqiao Town of Minhang District.

That moment remains etched in the memory of Yang Yibin, Chairman of Shanghai Juss Sports Industry Development (Group) Co Ltd.

Over the past two decades, Yang has not only witnessed the Shanghai Masters (formerly the Masters Cup until 2009) grow in stature on the international tennis circuit but also observed the profound transformation it has brought to Minhang and Maqiao.

"Hosting the tournament long-term has elevated Maqiao's international reputation and driven its comprehensive development. We've seen surrounding transportation infrastructure gradually improve, with numerous high-quality residential complexes springing up," he said.

The Shanghai Masters' two decades of global exposure have elevated "Minhang," "Maqiao" and "Qizhong" into internationally renowned sports and cultural hubs.

Minhang and the Shanghai JUSS Group signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement in January to build a "Tennis Town" around the Qizhong Tennis Center to host top-tier international tournaments and serve as a landmark for commercial, residential, cultural and sports functions.

In 2024, the Shanghai Masters Tennis Tournament spanned the entire week-long National Day for the first time. Over 220,000 Chinese and international spectators attended the event, a record high for the tournament. Nearly 70 percent of attendees came from outside Shanghai.

This year, nine of the 14-day schedule of the tournament fell on public holidays. Up to 240,000 attendees were recorded this year, with out-of-Shanghai residents accounting for over 70 percent. The proportion of international spectators increased by about 2 percentage points compared to last year.

Service points were been set up at both airports, providing each with a pre-loaded Shanghai Pass card to be used for public transportation or small payments.

Major commercial districts brought customers combo tickets and discounts for dining and shopping.

The Maqiao Tennis Open has been held at Qizhong Tennis Center for 13 consecutive years. As a grassroots tournament, it has attracted amateur teams and players. Last year, 36 adult teams and over 200 junior players competed.

Guo Jianfei, Chairman of Shanghai JUSS (Group) Co Ltd, said it intends to further enhance the competitiveness and influence of top-tier events and advance the development of the Qizhong International Tennis Ecological Demonstration Zone to make it a flagship hub for Shanghai's cultural, sports and tourism events.

Zhang Wenqi, Maqiao's Party Secretary, explains that it has plans to host more high-level sporting events such as golf, marathons and winter sports in the future.

Since 2014, many schools in Minhang have introduced tennis courses, and the Minhang Youth Tennis Alliance now includes over 30 of these schools; among them, Jingdong Primary School and Longbai No. 1 Primary School have been recognized as "National Youth Campus Tennis Specialty Schools."

This year, to deepen the synergy between culture, tourism, commerce, and sports, Minhang's commerce commission mobilized local vendors and retailers to offer specialty discounts for tennis ticket holders for their dining and entertainment expenditure.

A selection of 21 unique souvenirs from Minhang, including intangible cultural heritage items, handicrafts, time-honored brands, and cultural and creative designs, was showcased at the main venue of the tournament.

By inviting tourists to take part in the festive spirit of the Chunshen Beautiful Life Season, Minhang also accumulated valuable practical experience to leverage major sporting events as platforms to stimulate cultural and tourism consumption and drive synergy.

Local training facility launched

The first Asian ATP Performance & Development Center and the Juss International Tennis Academy were unveiled at the Shanghai Qizhong Forest Sports City Tennis Center in early October.

The ATP Tennis Development Center will leverage the advanced facilities of the Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena and provide athlete training, rehabilitation and fitness, tennis technology innovation and a high-end tennis club. It establishes a high-level competition training center and support base in Asia to provide world-class training conditions for professional tennis players from China and across the Asian region, boosting the development of Chinese tennis.

The Juss International Tennis Academy will integrate tennis training, education and event activities. The Academy will feature top international coaching teams and be equipped with comprehensive rehabilitation and fitness support systems, creating a development path aligned with global standards for young Chinese tennis players.

Eno Polo, ATP CEO, explained the significance of the partnership: "Shanghai is one of the great tennis cities in Asia, and Juss Sports has been at the heart of that journey for many years. They're long-time partners of ours, and it feels like a very natural step to be doing this together."