‘Spectacular’ record-breaking China Open comes to close

The China Open has come a long way since its debut in 2004. The evidence is everywhere.

This year’s tournament drew a record number of fans, earned rave reviews from the world’s top players, crowned two popular champions and cemented its status as a premier stop on the global tennis calendar.

In its 20th edition, the China Open offered a clear measure of how far the tournament has come in just over two decades.

“In the past, we were thanking the players for coming to Beijing,” tournament director Lars Graff said. “Now, they thank us because of all the things we have done.”

That evolution has not gone unnoticed by the players themselves. Top-seeded Alexander Zverev offered a simple assessment of the tournament’s standing.

“The China Open is a world-class event,” Zverev said.

The tournament drew a record 450,000 fans this year, a 25 percent increase over last year.

“The tournament was spectacular,” said Chen Jie, Executive Deputy Director and Secretary-General of the 2026 China Open Organizing Committee.

The strong attendance was fueled in part by the championship runs of fan favorites Novak Djokovic, who returned to Beijing after an 11-year absence to win his seventh title, and China’s Olympic hero Zheng Qinwen. Their success provided an ideal scenario for tournament organizers, bringing some of the sport’s biggest names and the tournament’s most popular players deep into the competition. Eight of the 12 days of competition on the Capital Diamond Court were sold out. Ticket revenue is expected to exceed 130 million, a year-on-year increase of 48%, setting a historical high.

The tournament also generated an estimated direct economic impact of 2.590 billion yuan ($386.5 million) and an indirect economic impact of 6.671 billion yuan ($995.6 million), according to the Beijing Sports Bureau.

The China Open continues to attract elite talent from around the world, with 215 players representing 40 countries. Five of the world’s Top 10 players competed in the men’s draw, while the women’s field featured reigning Grand Slam champions Elena Rybakina, Mirra Andreeva, and Linda Noskova, along with Zheng, the 2024 Olympic gold medalist.

The world’s best players are drawn to Beijing in part by the player support, world-class facilities and electric atmosphere.

“I feel like I’m playing at home,” Djokovic said. “Beijing is the place where I receive the most support outside of Serbia, whether at the venue or the hotel, inside and outside the stadium.

“I think the facilities are amazing,” he continued. “They always have been. I haven’t been here in 11 years. I can recognize some of the things from the last time I was here. There’s been much improvement.”

By Dominic Achille