Hong Kong to Host ATP Tour Event After 20-Year Hiatus
IMG and the Hong Kong, China Tennis Association (HKCTA) have announced a partnership to bring an ATP Tour 250 event to Hong Kong from January 2024 through 2028, marking the tournament’s return to the city after a 20-year hiatus.
The tournament will be held during the opening week of the 2024 tennis season, from December 31, 2023, to January 7, 2024, at Victoria Park Tennis Stadium. With a total prize money of over US$650,000 and a 28-player singles draw, the hard court tournament, previously located in Pune, India, will be the first ATP Tour tournament to be staged in Hong Kong since 2002.
Gavin Forbes, Executive Vice President & Managing Director, Tennis Events, IMG, expressed his excitement about bringing an ATP Tour event back to Hong Kong, stating, “We would like to thank the tennis fans in Pune for their support these past years. Hong Kong is an established tennis market with a passionate fanbase, and it is a convenient, competitive stop for players on their way to the Australian Open. We look forward to working with HKCTA and using IMG’s unparalleled expertise in tennis to kick off the 2024 season with an exceptional experience in Hong Kong.”
Philip Mok, President of the Hong Kong, China Tennis Association, shared the association’s goal of bringing an ATP Tour level event back to Hong Kong and the satisfaction of making it a reality. He also highlighted the positive reception of their men’s exhibition event in December 2022, stating, “An ATP 250 event will complement our existing WTA 250 and ensure local fans can experience the very best of both men’s and women’s professional tennis. This tournament is also key to our player development goals and our strategy to grow tennis and to utilize the tournament to further HKCTA’s Corporate Social Responsibility work in Hong Kong, bringing the sport to the widest possible audience.”
The Hong Kong, China Tennis Association is the organizer of the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open, a WTA 250 tournament that has been held since 2014 and will have its sixth edition in October this year. The event has previously attracted a record attendance of over 71,000 and was voted ‘WTA International Tournament of the Year.’
The tournament in Hong Kong is part of IMG’s portfolio of leading tennis tournaments worldwide, including the joint ATP & WTA 1000 Madrid and Miami Open events, Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open WTA 500, Mubadala Citi DC Open WTA 500, and Chengdu Open ATP 250.
From 1990-2002, Hong Kong was home to a popular ATP tournament at Victoria Park Tennis Stadium, drawing sell-out crowds annually and becoming a mainstay on the international tennis calendar. The tournament attracted top players such as Grand Slam champions Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Boris Becker, and Michael Chang.
Further details of the new Hong Kong tournament will be announced at a later date.
