SLAM HISTORYALL TIME Beijing VENUES
Beijing Comprehensive Gym: 1994-1996
In the early 1990s, as part of the ATP and WTA's strategy to expand tennis in Asia, they organized several tournaments in China. One of them, the 1994 Nokia Open, is considered the precursor to the current WTA 1000 China Open. The competition was held indoors at the Beijing Comprehensive Gym, with a main arena seating 6,000 spectators.
Xian Xia Tennis Center, Shanghai: 2000-2003
Xian Xia Tennis Center in Shanghai is one of China's most important and historically significant tennis venues, it opened in 1997. The complex became the "cradle" of Chinese tennis, hosting the first professional ATP and WTA tournaments in China. In 2001, a large-scale reconstruction of the tennis center added a retractable roof. This solved match postponements due to autumn rains. The stadium became the first in China with an automatic retractable roof system. The center court of the complex can accommodate only 4,000 spectators, and this forced the city to build a new Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena, the home arena for the prestigious Shanghai Masters 1000 tournament.
Beijing Tennis Center: 2004-2008
The Beijing Tennis Center, often called the Guangcai Tennis Center because of its proximity to the Guangcai Sport Center, became the official venue for the China Open in 2004. The Center was originally built as part of the Muxiyuan Sport School, and was opened in 2001 specifically to host the tennis tournaments of the 2001 Summer Universiade. Matches were played on an outdoor hard court, with a capacity of about 10,000 spectators on the center court. In 2004, Marat SAFIN and Serena WILLIAMS won the first tournament on the new courts. In 2006, the Hawk-Eye electronic replay system was first introduced to the Center's courts. This was the first time Hawk-Eye had been used outside the United States. The Center no longer hosts international professional tournaments. Today, the venue is used as a modern sports club for amateurs.
China National Tennis Center, Beijing: 2009-present
The China National Tennis Center was built and opened specifically for the 2008 Summer Olympics and became the main arena for Olympic and Paralympic tennis matches. In 2009, the complex became the main arena for the China Open. In 2011, following a public campaign to choose a name, the facility received its current name, China National Tennis Center. The center has 30 courts, including a unique Center Court, 17 outdoor and 12 indoor ones. The main surface is DecoTurf acrylic hard, similar to what many of the biggest tournaments use.
Diamond Court at China National Tennis Center, Beijing
Diamond Court, the main arena at the China National Tennis Center in Olympic Green Park, opened in 2011. This was a logical expansion of the tennis complex after the 2008 Olympics, which sparked a huge tennis boom in China. The new stadium has a capacity of 15,000 spectators, making it one of the world's largest tennis stadiums. The arena got its name from its unique architectural form of 16 powerful V-shaped concrete columns that resemble a faceted diamond, especially noticeable when illuminated in blue at night. A retractable roof allows matches to be held in all weather conditions (rain, strong winds or smog), turning the court into an all-weather indoor arena. The building's 6th floor features an open terrace and observation area, offering panoramic views of the entire Beijing Olympic Park.
Diamond Court Seating Map at at China National Tennis Center, Beijing
Category A. Located in the stadium's Lower Bowl, immediately behind the VIP boxes and as close as possible to the tennis court, they offer excellent panoramic views.
Category B. Occupies the Upper Level, but the Diamond Court's architecture offers a wonderful panoramic view of the entire court.
Category C. Located in the highest rows of the stadium, directly under the retractable roof of the arena. This is the lowest-priced ticket category for Diamond Court.
Sky Box. The boxes are located on the middle (tier) level of the stadium, directly above the first lower tier of the stands and form a continuous premium ring around the entire court. The seats provide a perfect panoramic view of the entire court without "blind spots", with their own private space and access to exclusive services.
VIP Seats. Located at the bottom of the arena on the first tier, directly around the playing court, the VIP sectors form the so-called Box Seats, with more comfortable seating and access to premium VIP services.
Courtside Seating Package. The most prestigious premium places are right next to the tennis court. The package is part of the premium VIP Hospitality Package and usually includes a personal soft chair in the front rows with extra legroom, access to the VIP Lounge, a closed, air-conditioned relaxation area, restaurant service, and a separate VIP entrance to the tennis center for quick passage through security without queues.
Lotus Court at China National Tennis Center, Beijing
Lotus Court served as the complex's main court and accommodated about 10,000 spectators. It hosted all the medal tennis matches of the 2008 Summer Olympics. After the construction of the Diamond Court stadium in 2011, Lotus Court became the second most important court of the center. The stadium's design has become one of the most striking examples of modern sports architecture, combining national symbols with environmental friendliness by repeating the shape of the lotus flower, one of Beijing's symbols. The arena has the shape of a dodecagon (12-sided), and the stands are divided into 12 equal concrete segments-"petals" which visually reproduce the blooming lotus flower. Lotus Court incorporates several bold technological solutions. One is natural ventilation, which lets hot air rise and creates a light, natural cyclonic wind flow. This significantly reduces suffocation at court level.
Lotus Court Seating Map at at China National Tennis Center, Beijing
The arena structure consists of 12 equal petal sectors that form the stadium bowl. Each of the 12 stands is clearly divided into lower, middle, and upper tiers. The steep slope of the stands ensures maximum visibility without “blind spots” from any sector. The scheme of sectors is traditionally divided into several price zones:
VIP Boxes. Located closest to the court surface. This includes the first rows of all 12 petal sectors.
Category A. Covers the center rows of the stands and provides the best value for money and view.
Category B. Upper rows of the stadium. This is the most affordable ticket category.