Asia's premier ATP tournament returns bigger and better than ever to the acclaim of fans and players

With a new champion crowned, venue renovations lauded and record revenues achieved, the Rolex Shanghai Masters returned from a four-year pandemic hiatus to resounding acclaim last week.

Organizers, though, are keen to build on the improvements after pulling off a huge challenge to deliver an expanded tournament to higher standards at their first attempt.

"We're actually in uncharted waters," tournament director Michael Luevano told China Daily last week in his office at Qizhong Tennis Center in Shanghai's southern suburbs.

"The player population has increased by a third. We have bigger locker rooms, bigger gyms and more people to cater to, and there are many more matches.

"I think the challenge becomes that we have to maintain a very high level of services for players and all participants over a longer period. This is a new one for us."

As one of nine top-tier ATP 1000 events, and the only one of those in Asia, the Shanghai Masters this year expanded to a 12-day tournament with 96 players in the singles draw, up from eight days and 56 players. Madrid and Rome have undergone the same changes as part of the ATP's "One Vision" initiative.

Despite the absence of the injury-sidelined Rafael Nadal and last-minute withdrawal Novak Djokovic, the quality of play in Shanghai lived up to its billing as the apex of men's tennis in Asia Pacific, underscored by a fiercely contested final on Sunday.

Up against fifth seed and crowd favorite Andrey Rublev of Russia, rising Polish star Hubert Hurkacz fired 21 aces, winning 81 percent of his first-serve points, and saved a match point in the third-set tiebreaker to earn a hard-fought 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (8) victory in over two hours.

The win in his third trip to Shanghai added a seventh ATP Tour title to Hurkacz's resume and his second at the 1000 level following his 2021 title run in Miami.

After securing one of the biggest wins of his career, the 26-year-old Hurkacz paid tribute to the organizers and the support of the Chinese fans.

"The tournament (director and staff), they made a great effort," he said.

"They always make great effort to communicate with the players... there's a new gym, the areas are bigger and better. It's a really well-organized tournament, and I think they're doing just an unbelievable job here."

Citing the overall positive feedback from players, ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi heaped praise on the tournament's new incarnation.

"I think having tournaments like Shanghai elevated to two weeks completely raises the standards and the level of our tour tournaments," Gaudenzi said at the Shanghai Masters.

"Shanghai has already been leading that process in the last few years... We've got the four Grand Slams as the pinnacle of our sport, but we really also need to elevate our Masters. I think Shanghai is doing a great job," said the former Italian pro, who last visited Shanghai in 2000 when he competed at the then Heineken Open, the city's very first ATP event launched in 1998.

Attracting the crowds

Twenty-five years have passed since professional tennis was introduced to Shanghai, yet, compared to other Masters hosts, there is still plenty of room for the market to grow in the city.

With a record total attendance of 190,000 this year, the Shanghai Masters still lags far behind the likes of Indian Wells in California, which easily attracts over 400,000 fans every year.

Indian Wells, Madrid, Rome, and Miami all benefit from a corresponding women's event, but Chinese organizers are determined to catch up in the numbers game.

"That's where we still need to improve," said Yang Yibin, general manager of Juss Sports, organizer and promoter of the Rolex Shanghai Masters. "We are in a different development stage compared to other Masters hosts, and the tennis market in China is not fully mature yet.

"However, we will keep making greater efforts to draw more and more spectators on-site by adding more exciting events, such as junior tournaments and grassroots promotional activities, on our extended schedule."

Part of those efforts was the introduction of an International Tennis Federation J100 (grade-3) junior tournament during the second week of the Masters, helping Qizhong Tennis Center to draw in decent crowds even during workdays after the first week of the National Day holidays.

The appearance of Swiss legend and two-time former champion Roger Federer on the final weekend proved a masterstroke, with hordes of Federer fans swarming everywhere the 20-time major winner appeared.

With further facility upgrades on the way, smarter scheduling and better ticket promotions, Luevano is confident attendances will continue to rise.

"We take a long-term view with our fans. Are we disappointed that the stadium doesn't look full on certain days? Yes, but we have a plan," said the South California native, who's been involved in tournament management in Shanghai since 1998.

"We have the fan base, it's just the culture. It's a challenge, but it is really only about the development of the culture."

Home pride

Having a hometown hero to cheer on was another big bonus for fans.

Chinese men's No 1 Zhang Zhizhen, a native of Shanghai, rose to the occasion to reach the round of 16 last week — his best-ever run at a hard-court Masters tournament.

Zhang's impressive run capped a fine year for the 26-year-old, who reached the quarterfinals on clay at the Madrid Masters.

"I couldn't be more excited about that performance," Luevano said. "Hands down, 'Tripe Z' has shown that we've arrived.

"It's something that we've always dreamed of — to have a Chinese player of his caliber. And here we are. It happened at the best time this year."

With the future of Chinese men's tennis looking bright and the Shanghai Masters raising its game, the ATP is bullish on the sport's future globally.

"I think having a premium event of this size and relevance is really important for getting more kids to play tennis and engage a global audience," said Gaudenzi.

"You cannot be a truly global sport without a presence in China, so that's really important."