China Open’s Role in the Asian Swing of the Tennis Calendar

We’ve entered the part of the tennis season when there’s no more Grand Slams to look forward to in 2025. For both fans and players it means less pressure, yet, the excitement for some quality tennis doesn’t drop. All of you who follow the WTA and ATP closely know that it is finally time for the Asian season. Probably the biggest tournament is the first one, and it is the China Open. The WTA 1000 tournament in Beijing always attracts the best players and promises the best tennis possible during this part of the year as far as WTA goes. For ATP it is a less prestigious 500 tournament. Below you’ll find everything you need to know about the tournament and the effect the Asian Swing has on the tennis calendar. 

The Schedule-When & Where in China 

Gear up, as we are almost there, especially if you still don’t know how to bet on China Open the right way. The tournament starts on 24th of September when the singles action commences. The doubles start a tad bit later, and to be precise it is two days later. Both finals will take place on the same day, and the scheduled date is October 5th as far as ladies competition goes, while the lads will wrap it up on October 1st. The stage is already set and it is the one and only China National tennis Centre in Beijing. Such a monumental court is an ideal home for one of the more prestigious WTA 1000 tournaments and ATP 500 alike. 

The facility was built for the purposes of the 2008 Beijing Olympics and it is still going strong as it is used as the main event for international tennis in China. This key venue boasts 12 outdoor courts, and six indoor ones as well. The main arena where the final and all the playoff matches are going to be played can be a home for more than 10,000 fans. 

We are talking about a state of the art venue which offers service to both the fans and the players on the court. This is the main reason why the best ranked players in the world look to start wrapping their seasons at this court. China National tennis Centre in Beijing is home to both WTA 1000 tournament and an ATP 500 one. 

Blast From The Past-The Reigning Champions 

As we said, this tournament attracts the top competitors from the WTA, in both the singles and the doubles competition. The reigning champion is the American tennis player Coco Gauff. As far as Women’s doubles go, the current champs are Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini from Italy. As far as the lads go, the reigning  champion is Carlos Alcaraz. Last year, he defeated Jannik Sinner, and after we saw how this year went, it was evident a year ago that the rivalry between these two is the future of tennis. In the doubles category the winners were Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori. It is interesting to see that the winners on both women’s and men’s doubles were from Italy. 

The upcoming tournament promises a lot of competition as many big names have applied to play. Folks who love to wager on sports need to take a peek at China Open sportsbook, as seeing Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff , Amanda Anisimova, Mirra Andreeva, Jessica Pegula, Emma Raducanu, Katie Boulter, Sonay Kartal, Sinner, Zverev, De Minaur, Musetti, Karen Khachanov, Andrey Rublev, Jakub Mensik and Medvedev will generate some fine odds. Those of you who follow tennis closely will know how to take advantage of what China Open lays in front of you. 

What’s at Stake?

The reason why the Asian season on both ATP and WTA matters a lot is because the prizes are quite good for the calm part of the year. It is an important part of the tennis calendar and the money offered for participants and especially the winners is not to be neglected. The total prize pool for this WTA 1000 tournament is close to $9 million. The winner in singles competition is expected to take home a little bit over $1.2 million and 1000 points. The runner up also has an incentive to be a part of the final as the reward is 650 points, and $600,000. Players who get to late stages of the China Open, and we are talking about those who make it to the semi finals are blessed with 390 points each, and $332,169, while those who wrap up their participation in the quarter finals go home with 215 points and pocket almost $190,000. 

So, as you can see, every gem, point, set, and win matters a lot in China, both for the season end rankings, and for the player’s pockets. The most interesting part is that even the players who lose in the early rounds, but past qualifications, end up going home with $23,000 and 10 points making a trip to China a worthwhile experience even for those who are still finding their footing on the WTA tour. High prizes are the main reason why Asian Swing carried by China Open means so much for players and organizers for the WTA tour that emerged strong way back in 2004.

The men’s side of the tournament ranks closely, in terms of prizes, but not points, as we’re talking about only an ATP 500 tournament. Yet, compared to the women’s tournament, the men’s competition is a bit older with the first tournament being held more than three decades ago in 1993. The entire prize poll for this ATP 500 tournament is set at $3,720,165. So, it is three times less than the one on the WTA tour, showing that women’s tennis is on the rise in China. $751,075 and 500 points is reserved for the winner, while the runner up goes home with $404,105 and 330 points. Those who reach the final few matches are blessed with $215,360 and 200 points for the semi finalist, while the quarter finalist get $110,030 and 100 points. Putting your best game forth matters a lot in China, and if you get even to the round of 16 and round of 32, you get $58,735 and 50 points for round of 16, and $31,320 and no points for the round of 32 respectively. 

Past Winners

A tournament as illustrious as this one saw many grand names lifting the title. As we mentioned, the last female player to lift the crown at the China Open was Coco Gauff. Before her the honour belonged to Iga Swiatek in 2023, Naomi Osaka in 2019, Caroline Wozniacki in 2018, Caroline Garcia in 2017, and Agnieszka Radwanska in 2016 just to mention the last few winners. As far as the ATP tour is concerned, the best of the best have competed at the China Open during the years. Just some of the names that have won it, from the top of our heads include the most recent winner Carlos Alcaraz, his compatriot Rafael Nadal, the legendary Serbian ace Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, Dominic Thiem, Nikoloz Basilashvili, Andy Murray, Tomas Berdych, and Andy Roddick among quite few other in the distant past. 

The name of Novak Djokovic will be written in golden letters in the history books of this tournament, as Nole has won 6 tournaments and holds the number for most wins at 29. Alcaraz will have to wait a few years to make history at the China Open as opted to play at the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships, the ATP 500 event held in Tokyo, while his biggest rival will play at the China Open, looking to take home his second title at this ATP 500 tournament after securing his first one back in 2023, and losing the last year’s final to Alcaraz. He is the main betting favourite according to sports betting outlet Stake.com, and you can head straight to their platform to check out the odds for the men’s singles at the ATP 500 China Open. 

What’s new at the 2025 China Open?

The first change everyone will notice is that the number of top ranked players grows each day in both competitions. In addition to increased prizes, and prestige of the tournament the organizers also did plenty in the areas of fan experience and both the entire tournament infrastructure. The National Tennis Center in Beijing was already a state of the art complex, but further improvements were made despite the fact. The seating arrangements have been enhanced, the overall sound system at the complex elevated, while both fan and food zones have been expanded. The evening session will benefit from new and brighter lights, making each match played in pristine conditions. 

China Open has already been a world class tennis event, but the implemented changes will make every live spectator feel it from their first experience with the tournament.  The capacity of the National Tennis Center in Beijing is massive enough to host both the ATP 500 and the WTA 1000 tournaments with ease. The festive nature of the entire tournament has managed to elevate its status among both fans and the players. The goal is to further elevate the tournament’s profile in coming years, until it is one of the best on the tour. 

For locals who are not yet entirely into the sport of tennis, the addition of local hero, and the best ranked Chinese player Zheng Qinwen, is seen as a move that could bring the sport closer to the local crowd. Interestingly enough, a home nation player never won the tournament in either category. This is an ideal chance for Zheng to win a title at the China Open. So far she has a Grand Slam final appearance and an Olympic medal to her name, with the latter coming last year in the form of a gold at the Paris Olympics. With the world putting Zheng in the same class as the likes of Gauff, Świątek, and Sabalenka, the crowd in Beijing could finally find someone to back at their home court. 

While on the surface, this is only one tournament, down deep, the Chinese authorities are trying to make the sport popular nationwide. Many investments have been made in terms of infrastructure investments in this and other tournaments, coaching, and youth development. When a nation hosts a big tournament such as China Open and has a national her such as Zheng coming through the ranks, it is evident that the ambition is to make tennis one of the national sports. 

The competitions in the both sides of the draw was never fiercer and it includes Gauff, Świątek, and Pegula, but also returning champs such as Osaka and Andreescu. The situation is similar on the men’s side of the draw with Sinner, Zverev, De Minaur, Musetti, Karen Khachanov, Andrey Rublev, Jakub Mensik and Medvedev filling the ranks. 

As far as the court goes, China Open is played at the hard courts in Beijing which are ideal for slow to medium tempo of the game where every point needs to be built thoughtfully. The biggest advantage is given to players blessed with stamina and movement, so it remains a real shame we will not witness the legendary Djokovic covering the ground in Beijing at least once more. 

The 2025 tennis season at both WTA and ATP tours is coming to an end, and its great finale will be in Asia, with China Opening setting the stage for every tournament coming on schedule later. With some of the top ranked players playing in Beijing, and with the prize pools that can be compared to ones of a Grand Slam, it is no wonder that the China Open is attracting so much attention at the moment. The sport of tennis has been growing globally in recent years, and it is evident that China wants to become the centrepiece of its further development in the coming years. Hosting a tournament such as China Open is a great way to continue the tradition and build on solid foundations laid down in the past.