Latest news with #ChinaTennisAssociation
South China Morning Post
05-04-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong to host Ultimate Tennis Showdown, with Zhang, Rublev among stars confirmed
Hong Kong's Kai Tak Arena will host a tennis event with a difference in October, bringing eight of the world's best men's players to town, organisers confirmed on Saturday. Advertisement The city has been awarded hosting rights for a stage of the Ultimate Tennis Showdown (UTS), a shortened, fast-paced form of the sport with time limits and players encouraged to show their personality. China's top men's player Zhang Zhizhen has been confirmed for the event, along with the world's No 9 and 10, in Russia's Andrey Rublev and Alex de Minaur of Australia. There will be a total of US$1.1 million in prize money, with Rublev chasing further success in the city to add to his triumph in last year's Bank of China Hong Kong Tennis Open. Michael Cheng Ming-git, president of the Hong Kong, China Tennis Association (HKCTA), welcomed the announcement, made on Saturday at the second UTS event of the year, in Nimes, in the south of France. Andrey Rublev plays in the UTS finals at London's Excel Centre in 2023. Photo: Action Images via Reuters 'UTS Hong Kong marks UTS' first-ever event in Asia, and the only Asian stop in the 2025 tour,' Cheng said.
South China Morning Post
26-03-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
‘Firing on all cylinders': Hong Kong tennis reprieved from doomsday-scenario funding cut
Removing elite status from Hong Kong tennis would have caused significant turbulence for a sport that is 'firing on all cylinders', according to the head of the local association. Advertisement Tennis had been threatened with demotion to Tier B standing at the city's Sports Institute, until new eligibility criteria drawn up this week handed the sport a minimum two-year stay of execution. Michael Cheng Ming-git, president of the Hong Kong, China Tennis Association (HKCTA), said Coleman Wong Chak-lam's run to the third round of this week's Miami Open was illustrative of Hong Kong tennis' efforts in nurturing elite players. He also backed the idea that a sport should be rewarded for staging major events. Hong Kong hosts one ATP 250, one WTA 250 and one WTA 125 tournament every year. Last year, the larger women's event was named tournament of the year at WTA 250 level, reclaiming a prize it first won in 2018. 'Tennis is one of the sports in Hong Kong that can be industrialised, commercialised and professionalised,' Cheng said. 'You need three building blocks: events, infrastructure, and elite and development pathway. They all go hand in hand. Advertisement 'Hong Kong is only the third Asian city to host both ATP and WTA events. We've won two global awards, and counting. Having our athletes featuring and doing well in our events will drive economic growth … and community engagement.'
