Rolex helps make Shanghai Masters tops

Event's high level of competition is driving popularity of tennis in China, especially among young generation

Shanghai Juss Event Management Co has developed the annual Shanghai Rolex Masters into a bigger and more exciting event for tennis lovers.

"We strive to offer Chinese and Asian tennis fans an annual event that is equal to any Grand Slam tournament," says Michael Luevano, the ATP tournament's director.

"Our future plan is to become bigger, perhaps a 10-day tournament. This would offer a larger draw and the highest prize money for a masters event in the world."

The Shanghai Rolex Masters, introduced in 2009, has reported growing attendance year-on-year. Last year, the event set an attendance record of 152,000.

Luevano says the 2015 tournament, which runs from Oct 10 to 18, will be one of the world's best ATP Masters competitions: "We believe the high level of competition is the highlight."

The event has attracted the world's top players, including world No 1 Novak Djokovic, defending champion Roger Federer, two-time champion Andy Murray, and Rafael Nadal.

"What we call Super Wednesday is always special because all the top-seeded players play their matches on that day," he says. "Our goal for the 2015 tournament is to break last year's attendance record, as well as offer the fans a more entertaining and interactive on-site experience."

For families eager to introduce the event to their children, Juss Event Management has designated Oct 10 Kids Day, with free entry and many family activities.

Tennis is not a traditional sport in China, yet the game is gaining popularity, especially among young generations.

"Our sales growth is between 15 and 30 percent year-on-year, and our television broadcast hours have doubled since 2000," Luevano says. "What impresses me most is how passionate the Chinese tennis fans are. Every year I see fans camped out at the players' hotel and waiting at airports just to see their favorite players."

Luevano, who has been a tennis tournament director for three decades, says the tremendous growth is fueled by the public's appreciation of the sport and the corporate and local government sectors' investment in tennis.

Currently, there are three major ATP men's events held in China, along with eight ATP Challenger events and eight WTA Women's events.

The Shanghai Rolex Masters has gained strong support from Rolex in the past six years, and Luevano says Juss Event Management is proud to have re-signed the luxury watchmaker as the title sponsor for a 10-year period beginning in 2016. "This partnership is unprecedented on the ATP tour," he says.

Juss Event Management has also partnered with ANZ, an Australian banking service provider, to cultivate tennis culture among children.

"Our partnership with our sponsor ANZ brings grassroots tennis to thousands of kids every year. We're proud of our achievements, but we also intend to do much more in the future," Luevano says. "We hope through our tournaments and commitment that we'll see a future Chinese male ATP champion."

zhuanti@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily European Weekly 10/01/2015 page26)