Beijing is preparing to host a great, wonderful and attractive tennis spectacle. One of the sport’s most coveted late-season events, the China Open 2025, is back in September with packed stands, redemption stories, and the promise of high-stakes battles on hard courts.
The ATP and WTA tours return to the China National Tennis Centre, the Olympic-era stadium turned tennis icon globally. Lets now see all the relevant information ahead of the tournament, like the dates, time, where to watch and the players that will attempt to lift the trophy.
When does it start?
Action begins with WTA qualifying on September 22-23, the main draw of the women beginning September 24. The tournament concludes October 5, with the final of the women closing out the show.
The men’s action sees the ATP 500 tournament begin September 25 and conclude with its final on October 1.
That is nearly two weeks of uninterrupted top-level tennis in Beijing.
What tennis players will be competing?
The lineup is packed with greats, even in the absence of two major players, the one and only Carlos Alcaraz, and the queen Aryna Sabalenka, both postioned as Noº 1 in their divisions.
- Women’s admission (WTA 1000): World No. 2 Iga Swiatek, rising star Coco Gauff, home favorite Zheng Qinwen, and former Grand Slam winners Naomi Osaka are some of the front runners. Missing in action will be world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka because of injury.
- Men’s singles (ATP 500): Alexander Zverev, Jannik Sinner, Daniil Medvedev, and Alex de Minaur will fight for one of the sport’s largest non-Masters title. Missing in action will be world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz due to an injury
Zheng Qinwen’s return home would be one of the week’s great stories for local fans if she goes deep in the draw before her local crowd.
How to watch?
The broadcast will be split between ATP and WTA broadcast partners:
- Television: Domestic broadcasters such as CCTV will broadcast the tournament in China, but international fans need to contact their domestic sports channels that carry WTA 1000 and ATP 500 events.
- Streaming: Both tours provide live streams through official apps and digital platforms.
- Match times: Day sessions usually start at 11:00 AM Beijing time, while night sessions will start at 7:00 PM.
That translates to early morning games for fans in Europe and late-night TV for customers in the Americas.
What is at stake?
The tournament is not solely about prize money, although there is a lot of that as well.
- WTA purse: almost $9 million, one of the wealthiest on the female calendar.
- ATP stakes: 500 ranking points to the winner, important as players battle to qualify for the ATP year-end Finals.
As the season winds down, Beijing provides one of the final chances for players to stage a climb up the rankings and earn a spot among the best in November.
The China Open has been a longstanding fixture of the Asian swing, a pause in between the U.S. Open and the season end. For the players, it is not merely about raising a trophy, it is establishing form, resilience, and foundation for the season’s final burst.
And for fans? It means a ringside seat to high-level tennis at one of the season’s biggest events.
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