Shanghai Ignites Tennis’s Asian Future
Under the floodlights of Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena, as baseline rallies echo through the Shanghai Masters, a bold partnership promises to steel players against the tour’s late-season siege, from weary pros to rising juniors.
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The sharp crack of racquet on ball reverberates through Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena, where the humid air thickens with the intensity of hard-court combat. On this October afternoon in 2025, amid the Shanghai Masters' tactical duels, Juss Sports and the ATP unveiled the first official ATP Performance & Development Center, paired with the launch of the Juss International Tennis Academy. This fusion of elite infrastructure and grassroots ambition arrives as a vital counter to the tour’s relentless back half, where jet lag and ranking pressures erode even the steeliest resolves.
As the Shanghai Masters unfolds its baseline marathons, the new facilities stand poised to redefine preparation, turning the arena’s electric hum into a year-round engine for Asian dominance. Players will emerge sharper, their games infused with the precision of one–two rallies and the poise to endure, charting a course toward a vibrant tennis horizon.
Easing the grind of late-season battles
The center harnesses the arena’s cutting-edge facilities to offer athlete training, rehabilitation, and fitness tailored to the hard-court demands that define Shanghai‘s playbook. Professional players from China and across Asia now have a high-level hub delivering world-class conditions, from data-driven analysis of spin rates on inside-out forehands to recovery protocols that restore rhythm after extended crosscourt exchanges. It counters the psychological toll of continent-hopping, where a missed down-the-line backhand can amplify doubts, by fostering mental fortitude alongside physical repair—imagine recalibrating footwork for quicker 1–2 combinations under floodlit pressure. Innovation pulses through every aspect, turning the venue into a sanctuary where pros dissect surface adjustments, honing underspin slices to disrupt opponents’ baselines before unleashing aggressive net approaches. As evening shadows creep across the courts, this base emerges not just as a club for high-end play, but a forge for resilience, boosting Chinese tennis by providing the tools to sustain momentum through the tour’s unforgiving arc.Speaking at a press conference Wednesday at the Shanghai Masters, Yang Yibin, Chairman of Juss Sports, said the new development center with the ATP will build on the company’s two decades of experience running the award-winning ATP Masters 1000 event.
Building youth pathways with global reach
Inaugurated alongside the center, the Juss International Tennis Academy blends tennis drills, education, and events into a comprehensive ecosystem for emerging talent. Top international coaches lead sessions equipped with rehab and fitness systems aligned to global standards, guiding young Chinese players through the emotional swings of early competition—from the frustration of a long slice to the thrill of a precise inside-in winner. Youth series, training camps, and overseas programs create seamless transitions, evolving foundational patterns into pro-level intensity on hard courts that reward bold crosscourt angles. Wu Di, head coach of the Shanghai Juss Tennis Team, joined the announcement, his expertise underscoring the academy’s commitment to holistic growth. Here, juniors learn to navigate matchup simulations, adapting defensive underspin to offensive flats, building the tactical acumen needed for rankings climbs. The crowd’s roar during Masters matches now echoes a deeper promise: a generation tempered against isolation and setbacks, ready to claim spots in the professional fray.Rooted in partnership and continental ambition
This initiative draws from Shanghai’s storied role in Asian tennis, where Juss Sports’ long-standing stewardship of the Masters infuses the project with proven depth. Eno Polo, ATP CEO, addressed dignitaries and media, highlighting the natural evolution of their collaboration. His words captured the initiative’s broader resonance, positioning it as a catalyst for talent from grassroots to elite levels.“Shanghai is one of the great tennis cities in Asia, and Juss Sports have been at the heart of that journey for many years. They’re long-time partners of ours, and it feels like a very natural step to be doing this together. With the new ATP Performance & Development Center and the Juss International Tennis Academy, we’re creating a really strong base for players – from the grassroots right up to the professional level – and opening up more opportunities for Chinese talent. It’s an exciting moment, not just for Shanghai, but for tennis across Asia.”
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