The blue riband of all racquet sports has experienced spectacular growth in the territory thanks to extensive television and newspaper coverage of stars like Michael Chang and Pete Sampras.
Since making its debut here more than a century ago, tennis is now played by thousands of people, young and old, all over the territory.
A young player who dreams of one day competing at Wimbledon or the US Open must first embark on a long road to success.
Patricia Hy, who rose through junior ranks to become the territory's undisputed women's champion, is probably the only local player to have competed at any of the Grand Slams, the world's most prestigious tennis tournaments.
Hy was once Hong Kong's top junior when she came to the territory in the early eighties from war-torn Cambodia, but she now represents Canada and has steadily moved up the world's ranking list where she is in the top 40.
Before you pick up the racquet and decide to emulate Patricia Hy, you must remember that being a world-class tennis player, as in any sport, takes years of dedication and hard work.
