Olympic dividends + word-of-mouth accumulation have achieved the unique charm of China Net

Yesterday, the 2024 China Network once again ushered in a day of audience explosion on the closing day. In the Women's Singles final, Grand Slam champion Gauff faced Grand Slam runner-up Mukhova, drawing a full crowd to cheer. This is also the epitome of this year's hot box office of China Net. This year, driven by the "Zheng Qinwen effect", Chinese tennis tickets were sold out early. With the help of Olympic dividends and 20 years of accumulated reputation, China Tennis has shown its unique charm in box office sales, business sponsorship and tennis culture promotion.

Players give power to bring fireballs to the city

This year, a total of 380 players from 48 countries and regions came to Beijing to participate in the China Open, including 158 WTA women's professional players and 72 ATP men's players. Grand Slam winners such as Alcaraz, Sinner, Medvedev, Sabalenka, Gauff and Naomi Osaka have joined this year's China Open squad.

This year's China Open has set a number of records: the number of Chinese players has reached a new high, reaching 18; Chinese women's tennis player Gao Xinyu and Spain's Tomo played for 4 hours and 15 minutes, setting a record for the longest time in a Chinese Open women's event; On October 2, Alcaraz and Sinner met in the final, giving a Grand Slam-level match, setting a record for the length of the final of the China Open.

The performance of Chinese players has attracted the attention of domestic tennis fans. On the women's side, Zheng Qinwen broke into the semifinals of the China Open women's singles, becoming the first local player to successfully reach the semifinals of the China Open women's singles again; Zhang Shuai, a 35-year-old veteran who participated in the tournament with a wild card, performed a miracle of four consecutive victories at the China Open, and successfully advanced to the top 8 of the China Open women's singles for the third time. In men's singles, the 22-year-old Buyun Chaokert entered the tournament with a wild card, defeating Rublev, the world No. 6 and No. 4 seed of the tournament, in the third round, setting a new record for reaching the semifinals of the China Open with a wild card, which is also the best result of a Chinese men's player at the China Open.

Ticket revenue continues to hit new highs

From 2023 to 2024, the number of on-site spectators at China Network will reach a new high. On September 28, the first weekend of China Network, the audience flow of the park was about 39,000, creating a record high in single-day traffic. On October 1, all the specifications of the first diamond court, the lotus court, and even the "joy ticket" of the outer court were also sold out, and the number of spectators at the National Tennis Center reached 44,000 on that day, once again setting a new record for the number of visitors in a single day. The men's singles final on October 2 and Zheng Qinwen's appearance brought the number of spectators to 29,000 at the China Open, and more than 13,000 people poured into the first diamond court. The number of spectators is expected to be about 300,000 during the whole race period, an increase of 50% compared with last year, and the single-day traffic of the five competition days will exceed 25,000. As of October 5, about 140,000 foreign fans and more than 13,000 overseas spectators have come to Beijing to watch the game.

In terms of ticket sales, it continues to be hot. Sales on the day of the opening were double the same period last year, and before the start of the main draw, ticket sales at the China Open had already surpassed the total for the entire season last year: tickets for the men's final were sold out, and tickets for the women's singles final were also hard to find for many days in advance. Just two days before the start of the tournament, ticket sales were twice as high as in the same period last year. As of 11 a.m. on October 1, all tickets for the tournament have been sold out. This year's total box office revenue exceeded 80 million yuan, setting a record high in ticket sales on the China Network, an increase of 60% over last year.

Listen to feedback to improve your service

In 2024, China Network has made great efforts in audience service. Fans reflect that it is more convenient to come and go to the China Open. According to reports, China Grid removed the fence around the venue to benefit the audience who drove to the venue; All entrances and exits of the audience are equipped with turnstiles to clear the congestion caused by manual ticket checking. In addition, the linkage between China Network and AutoNavi and Baidu Maps makes it easier and more direct in terms of taxi, navigation and connection.

This year, China Network contacted the bus group to use the original night line to add ferry vehicles after 12 o'clock at night; Metro Line 8 will be extended to 12 o'clock during the peak hours of the China Open from September 26 to October 2.

In the past 20 years, in addition to the accumulation of word of mouth, China Net has also improved its services by listening to the complaints of fans. "A lot of complaints are from the 12345 hotline. Instead of learning from others about the experience of running the competition, it is better to listen directly to what the audience has to say. The person in charge of the network introduced. After last year's competition, China Network obtained feedback from the audience from the Internet and the 12345 hotline. "The audience's voice is very revealing. For example, parking is difficult and admission is congested. We gave it a category, 118 items. After the process is done, we have to fight again. The core concept of this year is to serve all the attendees. The person in charge of the network said.

The viewing experience continues to evolve

Many fans have reported that they are more comfortable in catering and leisure this year. Walking into the National Tennis Center, the audience service center at the entrance provides event consultation, barrier-free services, luggage storage, mother and baby room and other services. The west square in the park is green and grassy, and fans can lie on chairs and watch the live game on the 360-degree ring screen in front of them, and the relaxed and comfortable feeling of holiday is at your fingertips.

According to reports, in 2024, China Network will introduce nearly 30 catering brands and more than 60 catering service points, and the comprehensive catering building will provide better quality on-site catering services.

This year, the China Tennis Park has created a strong tennis cultural atmosphere, promoted a new upsurge of tennis consumption, and also created a shortage of mascot explosions. The new mascot IP "Ah Zhong" became an instant hit after being loved by international players, and was warmly sought after by fans during the China Open. Although the supply has doubled before the game this year, the popularity is still beyond expectations, and the supply of sought-after souvenirs such as A-Zhong pillows and plush tennis keychains is in short supply, and there was a situation where the explosive models were out of stock.

This year's tournament sponsors and partners integrated tennis into their creative booths, and set up more than 100 interactive activities in combination with tennis, with a total of more than 10,000 participants. Merchants have increased the creative catering of tennis shapes, such as tennis shaped ice cream, tennis Daifuku, and tennis small square toast. It is reported that the comprehensive consumption of China Grid in the 2024 competition period will exceed 25 million yuan, an increase of nearly 40% compared with 2023.

It has been widely praised by all parties

Before the start of the 2024 China Open, Zhang Junhui, tournament director of the China Open, introduced that this year's China Open has achieved a full list of sponsors for the first time this year with "1 chief + 3 diamonds + 8 platinums + 10 partners". This represents the recognition of the China Open by the sponsors.

In addition, China Open has also received real money support from fans, and more players have praised it. Thanks to the dividends of the Paris Olympics and the continuous growth of the reputation accumulated in the past, the 2024 China Open promotes the development of tennis culture and becomes a window for international friends to understand China. Many international players have reported that the arrangement of the China Open is different from other tournaments. The China Open offers players a wide range of activities to choose from, making the trip worthwhile. Lars · Graff, co-tournament director of the China Open, said that the China Open has developed a unique attraction for international players.

Text/Reporter Chu Peng

Co-ordinator/Du Rui