LINE

Text:AAAPrint
Sports

Olympic gold fuels surge in tennis interest

2024-08-08 10:07:15China Daily Editor : Li Yan ECNS App Download

Chinese athletes' dazzling performances at the Paris Olympics have motivated more people in China to pick up tennis rackets this summer and are poised to boost the sport's popularity in the country.

Jin Xin, who is in charge of bookings for 12 outdoor tennis courts at the National Olympic Sports Center in Beijing's Chaoyang district, said people have had to book a court well in advance to play or practice during peak hours in the early morning and evening this summer. Hot demand for tennis courts has also been seen in cities including Shanghai, and Guangzhou and Shenzhen in Guangdong province.

"For some people, starting their day with a couple of hours of tennis has become a part of their daily routine," Jin said. "Meanwhile, we've seen many people taking beginners' lessons recently.

"We can see people from all ages enjoying playing tennis. And the number of children and young people learning the sport has significantly increased in the past few years."

On Saturday, Zheng Qinwen won the women's singles Olympic gold in emphatic fashion at Roland Garros, becoming the first Asian athlete to be crowned champion. The day before, China's Wang Xinyu teamed up with the country's top male player, Zhang Zhizhen, to claim the silver medal in mixed doubles.

Jin said on Wednesday that people playing tennis at the center are still talking about the historic and inspirational achievements of the Chinese players.

"Without a doubt, the Chinese tennis players' performances will further boost the development of China's tennis industry in all aspects," he said.

Jin said the competition among tennis facilities and training programs will become more heated in Beijing because the number of tennis courts and schools has increased to meet surging demand.

Thursday marks China's 16th National Fitness Day, and the center's outdoor tennis courts will be opened to the public for free. People's enthusiasm has been unprecedented thanks to the Chinese tennis team's impressive performances at the Paris Olympics, he added.

According to a report published by the International Tennis Federation, China ranked second globally in tennis participation in 2021 after the United States with 19.9 million participants, accounting for 22.9 percent of global tennis players — and the number is expected to continue to rise.

According to e-commerce platform Meituan, tennis experience classes and quarterly tennis training packages have been among its top sellers since last month, with group-buying orders related to tennis jumping by 172 percent year-on-year.

Liu Ziyang, 12, has been playing tennis for two years. He said he stayed up late to watch both finals of the Chinese tennis players at the Paris Olympics live.

"Now, Chinese kids like me can have tennis stars from our own country to look up to," he said. "They have shown us that becoming top players in the world is no longer a dream. I will never forget the moment that Zheng lay sprawled on the red clay after winning gold."

MorePhoto

Most popular in 24h

MoreTop news

MoreVideo

LINE
Back to top About Us | Jobs | Contact Us | Privacy Policy
Copyright ©1999-2024 Chinanews.com. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
[网上传播视听节目许可证(0106168)] [京ICP证040655号]
[京公网安备 11010202009201号] [京ICP备05004340号-1]
可信网站 可信网站