Hong Kong Tennis Chief Defends Packed Calendar Despite High-Profile Withdrawals
SCMP · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
The president of Hong Kong's tennis governing body has thrown his weight behind the sport's packed competitive calendar despite a spate of high-profile player withdrawals. Michael Cheng Ming-git of the Hong Kong, China Tennis Association defended the nearly year-round tournament schedule, saying Hong Kong gets solid returns from hosting ATP and WTA 250 events annually. His statement follows mounting concerns from the Professional Tennis Players Association about injury rates among tour players.
Key Points
- Michael Cheng Ming-git, president of the Hong Kong, China Tennis Association, defended the jam-packed tennis calendar despite player concerns
- Hong Kong hosts both ATP and WTA 250 events every year, with Cheng saying the city receives good value from these tournaments
- Emma Raducanu and Naomi Osaka both withdrew from the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open in each of the past two years citing fitness issues
- The Professional Tennis Players Association analysed eight years of injury data and concluded the season is too long with insufficient recovery time
- Cheng attributed rising injuries to multiple factors: the sport's evolution toward more physical play, changed playing conditions, different court surfaces, racquet technology advances, and extreme weather
Why It Matters
The debate over tennis scheduling has implications for tournament hosts like Hong Kong, which depend on star players to attract spectators and sponsors. As the sport navigates player welfare concerns while maintaining its global event calendar, cities that invest in hosting premium tournaments will need to balance the demands of organizers against the health concerns of top athletes .
The debate over tennis scheduling has implications for tournament hosts like Hong Kong, which depend on star players to attract spectators and sponsors. As the sport navigates player welfare concerns while maintaining its global event calendar, cities that invest in hosting premium tournaments will need to balance the demands of organizers against the health concerns of top athletes .