China Open History: From Humble Beginnings to One of Tennis’ Biggest Events
The China Open has grown from a relatively small tennis tournament in Beijing into one of the most important events on the professional tennis calendar. Today, it brings together an ATP 500 men’s tournament and a WTA 1000 women’s tournament, attracting many of the world’s best players to China’s capital each year.
Played on outdoor hard courts at the National Tennis Center in Beijing, the China Open has witnessed historic victories, record-breaking champions and unforgettable matches. Legends including Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova have lifted trophies here, while a new generation of stars continues to shape the tournament’s future.
Its history stretches back to the early 1990s, when professional tennis was still developing in China. Since then, the event has experienced several transformations, including a six-year interruption, a major revival in 2004, an Olympic-inspired expansion and a return after the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Early Years: Beijing’s First Professional Tournaments (1993–1997)
The roots of the China Open can be traced to 1993, when Beijing hosted the inaugural Salem Open-Beijing, a men’s ATP tournament played on indoor carpet courts at the Beijing International Tennis Center.
American star Michael Chang became the competition’s first singles champion, defeating Greg Rusedski in the final.
Chang quickly established himself as the dominant player during the tournament’s early years. He won three consecutive titles from 1993 to 1995, helping attract attention to professional tennis in China.
His success was particularly significant because Chang, whose parents were born in Taiwan, was already one of the most recognizable tennis players among Asian audiences.
Other notable men’s champions included:
- 1996: Greg Rusedski (Great Britain)
- 1997: Jim Courier (United States)
Women’s professional tennis also arrived in Beijing during this period. The city hosted the Nokia Open, a WTA tournament, from 1994 to 1996.
Its singles champions were Indonesia’s Yayuk Basuki in 1994, American Linda Wild in 1995, and Wang Shi-ting of Chinese Taipei in 1996.
However, these early tournaments faced challenges in establishing a permanent place on the international calendar.
The men’s event disappeared after 1997, leaving Beijing without that ATP tournament from 1998 through 2003. The women’s competition had already ended after 1996.
Despite their relatively short existence, these tournaments helped introduce professional tennis to a growing Chinese audience and laid the foundations for a much larger event.
The China Open Returns: A New Beginning (2004–2008)
A major turning point came in 2004, when the China Open was launched in its modern form, bringing ATP and WTA competition back to Beijing.
Unlike the earlier indoor tournaments, the revived event was played on outdoor hard courts at the Beijing Tennis Center.
The men’s tournament operated at ATP International Series level, while the women’s competition was classified as a WTA Tier II event.
The new China Open immediately attracted established international stars.
In the women’s singles competition, Serena Williams became the inaugural champion of the modern era, defeating Svetlana Kuznetsova 4–6, 7–5, 6–4 in the 2004 final.
On the men’s side, Russia’s Marat Safin claimed the 2004 title after beating compatriot Mikhail Youzhny.
The following year, a young Rafael Nadal won the men’s singles championship, defeating Guillermo Coria 5–7, 6–1, 6–2.
Other notable champions during this period included Maria Kirilenko, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Ágnes Szávay and Jelena Janković in women’s singles, along with Marcos Baghdatis, Fernando González and Andy Roddick in men’s singles.
By 2008, the China Open had established itself as an important stop during the Asian swing.
However, an even bigger transformation was approaching.
The Olympic Legacy: China Open Becomes a Major Tournament (2009–2011)
The 2008 Beijing Olympic Games played an important role in the China Open’s development.
Tennis was one of the sports featured at the Olympics, with matches played at the newly constructed Olympic Green Tennis Center.
Following the Games, the facility became the permanent home of the China Open in 2009, operating as the National Tennis Center.
The move provided modern facilities and greater capacity for players, officials and spectators.
At the same time, the tournament received significant upgrades in its professional status.
The men’s competition became an ATP Tour 500 event, offering more ranking points and attracting stronger fields.
The women’s competition was promoted to WTA Premier Mandatory status, placing Beijing alongside Indian Wells, Miami and Madrid among the tour’s most prestigious regular-season tournaments.
These changes established the China Open as one of the most important combined ATP and WTA events outside the four Grand Slams.
Diamond Court: Beijing’s Signature Tennis Stadium
Another major milestone arrived in 2011, with the opening of the spectacular Diamond Court.
The stadium features a retractable roof and can accommodate approximately 15,000 spectators.
Its distinctive architectural design quickly became one of the China Open’s most recognizable features.
The stadium provides a world-class setting for major matches, allowing spectators to watch some of the biggest names in tennis compete in China’s capital.
With improved infrastructure, expanded competition and international media coverage, the China Open entered a new period of growth.
The Golden Era: Djokovic, Serena Williams and Tennis Legends (2009–2019)
The decade following the tournament’s expansion produced many of its most memorable moments.
Above all, this period was defined by the extraordinary dominance of Novak Djokovic.
The Serbian won his first China Open title in 2009 by defeating Marin Čilić in the final. He successfully defended his championship in 2010 with a victory over David Ferrer.
After missing the 2011 edition, Djokovic returned to win four consecutive titles from 2012 to 2015.
His six championships during this period established him as the most successful men’s singles player in China Open history.
Djokovic’s consistency, movement and outstanding hard-court skills made Beijing one of his favorite destinations on the ATP Tour.
Other prominent men’s champions during this era included:
- Tomáš Berdych (2011): Defeated Marin Čilić to win the title.
- Andy Murray (2016): Captured the championship against Grigor Dimitrov.
- Rafael Nadal (2017): Won his second China Open title by defeating Nick Kyrgios.
- Nikoloz Basilashvili (2018): Defeated Juan Martín del Potro in the final.
- Dominic Thiem (2019): Overcame Stefanos Tsitsipas to lift the trophy.
Women’s Champions Build Their Own Legacy
The women’s tournament also featured an extraordinary collection of champions.
Serena Williams returned to the winner’s circle in 2013, claiming her second Beijing title after defeating Jelena Janković.
Agnieszka Radwańska became another multiple-time champion, winning in 2011 and 2016.
Caroline Wozniacki also enjoyed considerable success in Beijing, capturing the singles title in 2010 and 2018.
Other notable winners included Victoria Azarenka, Maria Sharapova, Garbiñe Muguruza and Caroline Garcia.
In 2019, Japanese star Naomi Osaka defeated world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty 3–6, 6–3, 6–2 to win her first China Open title.
Osaka’s victory added another major Asian tennis star to the tournament’s distinguished list of champions.
By the end of the decade, the China Open had become a major sporting attraction, bringing thousands of spectators to Beijing and strengthening China’s role in international tennis.
The COVID-19 Interruption and Long-Awaited Return (2020–2023)
Like many international sporting competitions, the China Open was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The tournament was not held from 2020 to 2022, ending a long period of annual competition.
The interruption was particularly significant for the Asian tennis calendar, which traditionally features several important tournaments during the final months of the season.
After three consecutive cancellations, the China Open finally returned in 2023.
Its comeback marked the beginning of another chapter.
The women’s event now operated under the WTA’s 1000-level classification, which had replaced the previous Premier Mandatory and Premier 5 categories.
The tournament retained its importance as one of the leading events in Asia, with a large women’s singles draw and significant ranking points available.
Sinner and Swiatek Win the 2023 Titles
The return of the China Open produced two impressive singles champions.
Italy’s Jannik Sinner captured the men’s title by defeating Daniil Medvedev 7–6(2), 7–6(2) in the final.
The victory represented another important achievement in Sinner’s rise toward the top of men’s tennis.
In the women’s competition, Poland’s Iga Świątek defeated Liudmila Samsonova 6–2, 6–2 to secure her first China Open championship.
Their victories highlighted the arrival of a new generation of stars at the forefront of professional tennis.
A New Generation Takes Over (2024–2025)
The following two editions continued the tournament’s tradition of producing high-profile champions.
2024: Alcaraz and Gauff Shine in Beijing
In 2024, Carlos Alcaraz claimed his first China Open title following an outstanding final against defending champion Jannik Sinner.
The Spaniard recovered from losing the opening set to win 6–7(6), 6–4, 7–6(3), securing one of the most memorable victories of the tournament’s modern era.
On the women’s side, Coco Gauff defeated Karolína Muchová 6–1, 6–3 to claim her first China Open singles championship.
The victory made Gauff the second American woman to win the modern China Open singles title, following Serena Williams.
It also marked an important achievement in Gauff’s career as she continued to establish herself among the world’s leading players.
2025: Sinner Returns to the Top, Anisimova Completes Breakthrough Season
The 2025 China Open delivered another exciting series of championship matches.
Jannik Sinner secured his second Beijing title with a dominant 6–2, 6–2 victory over American teenager Learner Tien.
The Italian became only the third man to win multiple China Open singles titles, joining Djokovic and Nadal.
In the women’s competition, Amanda Anisimova continued her remarkable comeback season by defeating Linda Nosková 6–0, 2–6, 6–2.
The victory gave Anisimova her second WTA 1000 title of 2025, following her earlier triumph in Doha.
It also made her the third American women’s singles champion in Beijing’s modern era, joining Serena Williams and Coco Gauff.
The 2025 edition was memorable in doubles as well.
Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten won the men’s doubles title, while Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini became the first team to successfully defend the China Open women’s doubles championship.
These achievements added another important chapter to the tournament’s history.
2026: Djokovic Returns to Beijing and Extends His Historic Record
The 2026 China Open produced another remarkable milestone when Novak Djokovic returned to Beijing after an 11-year absence and captured his seventh men’s singles title.
The 39-year-old Serbian defeated Alex de Minaur in the final on October 6, although the match ended prematurely when the Australian was forced to retire because of injury.
Djokovic had won the opening set 7–6(3), and De Minaur retired after the first game of the second set.
The victory gave Djokovic his 102nd career ATP singles title and extended his extraordinary China Open record to 34 wins and zero losses.
His seven Beijing championships came in 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2026.
The triumph also made Djokovic the first player to win at least one tour-level singles title in 21 consecutive seasons.
His latest success strengthened his status as the greatest men’s singles champion in China Open history.
The men’s doubles competition also produced a historic result, with Britain’s Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool becoming the first all-British pair to win the Beijing title.
They defeated Sander Arends and David Pel 6–3, 3–6, [10–6] in the championship match.
Zheng Qinwen Makes History in Women’s Singles
The 2026 women’s tournament has also provided a historic moment for Chinese tennis.
Zheng Qinwen became the first Chinese player to reach the China Open women’s singles final after defeating Elise Mertens 7–5, 6–2 in the semifinals on October 10, 2026.
The Olympic gold medalist returned to the tournament as a wildcard after recovering from an elbow injury.
China Open’s Legacy: More Than Three Decades of Tennis History
The China Open’s journey reflects the remarkable growth of professional tennis in Asia.
What began with relatively small indoor competitions in the 1990s has evolved into a major international event, bringing together established champions and emerging talents at one of the sport’s most recognizable venues.
Its history includes Michael Chang’s early dominance, Serena Williams’ victories, Djokovic’s extraordinary unbeaten record, and the emergence of stars such as Alcaraz, Sinner, Gauff and Anisimova.
The tournament has also played an important role in introducing international tennis to Chinese audiences and encouraging greater interest in the sport throughout the country.
Today, the China Open remains a vital part of the ATP and WTA Asian swing, offering valuable ranking points, substantial prize money and opportunities for players to create lasting memories.
As each new edition adds another chapter, Beijing continues to strengthen its reputation as one of the world’s leading tennis destinations.
