Hong Kong ‘Super October’ serves up a new era of tennis
From fast-paced formats to star-studded tournaments, Hong Kong Tennis Season’s ‘Super October’ redefines Hong Kong’s status as Asia’s tennis capital
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The Hong Kong Tennis Season kicked off with a ‘Super October’ of thrilling tennis experiences, featuring a mix of formats and visits from some of the biggest names in the game.
The first month of the season ended on a high note with cheers echoing across Victoria Park, where Victoria Mboko was crowned champion at the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open 2025, defeating Cristina Bucsa in the final. The result capped a month that re-established Hong Kong as Asia’s international tennis hub.
This year’s tournament attracted a world-class line-up of returning elite players and emerging stars eager to compete in Hong Kong, reflecting the WTA 250 event’s growing prestige.
Top-seed Belinda Bencic, fresh from winning her 10th WTA title in Tokyo, was joined by Sofia Kenin, Leylah Fernandez, Victoria Mboko, Anna Kalinskaya, Katie Boulter and Alexandra Eala, amongst a host of international contenders.
The importance of this long-standing tournament on the development of tennis in Hong Kong was no better exemplified than this year’s success of local stars Eudice Chong and Cody Wong.
In the singles, Eudice Chong advanced to the second round for the first time, taking her first WTA 100 scalp in Holland’s Suzan Lamens.
Her strong form, and recent advancement into the WTA top 100 doubles rankings, was further demonstrated as she paired up with Cody Wong to also reach the second round of the doubles, marking another milestone for Hong Kong players at their home tournament.
Inspired by the appearance of top world players and rising Asian stars, this year’s tournament drew over 54,000 spectators across the week, with several sessions sold out.
Indeed, Hong Kong is at the forefront of spearheading the sport’s development locally, across the Greater Bay Area and throughout Asia.
Across the month, the Hong Kong, China Tennis Association (HKCTA), with the support of the Hong Kong Government and generous local sponsors, has hosted a remarkable double-header that has helped transform the city into an epicentre of world tennis.
Both the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open (PHKTO) and the Chubb UTS Hong Kong 2025 with Humansa were recognised as ‘M Mark’ events, a designation awarded by the Major Sports Events Committee to signify world-class sporting events that enhance Hong Kong’s reputation as an international sports hub.
‘Super October’ began with the Asian debut of the Ultimate Tennis Showdown (UTS) format, held from October 14-15 at the Kai Tak Arena.
Introducing a ‘fast and furious’ version of the game, specifically designed to build a new tennis fan-base, enticing young and diverse audience to appreciate the sport, live music and lighting effects create an electrifying atmosphere transforming spectators into active match participants.
Over two electrifying days, over 8,500 fans packed the indoor venue for this fast-paced ‘Sportainment’ event.
The top-class tennis action from leading stars of the game, including Andrey Rublev and China’s Jerry Shang and Zhang Zhizhen, ultimately saw Argentina’s Francisco Cerúndolo lift the Hong Kong Zeus Trophy after defeating American Jenson Brooksby in the final.
The event’s success – its production values, sold-out stands and enthusiastic response – demonstrated the HKCTA’s commitment to delivering ever-more diverse tennis formats and experiences to Hong Kong, already being hailed as a testbed for future Asia UTS tournaments.
With the ongoing success of the HKCTA’s Tennis Season platform, Hong Kong’s readiness to host world-class sports in innovative new ways has never been clearer.
“Hong Kong is simply wonderful, a city of vibrant streets, a lot of greenery and beautiful waters. I’ve completely fallen in love with it and can’t wait to return – maybe even to play again here!” remarked Sabalenka.
These moments show how the HKCTA’s Hong Kong Tennis Season initiative is shaping the evolution of major tournaments in the city – from traditional competitions to new, entertainment-driven formats – while helping to develop local talent and strengthen Hong Kong’s tennis infrastructure.
Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open Tournament director Li Na, the Chinese tennis pioneer and Asia’s first women’s Grand Slam singles champion, returned to the role for a second year.
“With the growing passion of local fans for tennis and the unique advantages this dynamic city offers sporting events, Hong Kong’s readiness to host world-class competitions in bigger and more innovative ways has never been clearer,” said Li.
HKCTA president Michael Cheng added that the Association is proud to see Hong Kong’s tennis calendar expanding and gaining global attention.
“The continued development of top international tennis tournaments and experiences is something the HKCTA is extremely proud of,” he said.
Cheng added that the Hong Kong Tennis Season has become an effective platform for the city’s tennis development.
Backed by strong corporate support, the initiative has brought top-tier international tournaments to local venues, giving Hong Kong greater visibility on the global tennis map.
These events also provide valuable experience for players, coaches and officials, while encouraging wider community participation in the sport.
“We aim to continue to develop Hong Kong as Asia’s international tennis hub with ever more diverse tennis events and experiences, matching Hong Kong’s Mega-Event Economy ambitions in promoting major sports as drivers of tourism and community energy.”
Through a mix of international tournaments and experiences, youth programmes and cultural activities, Hong Kong shows tennis can be both elite and accessible, a fun sport for all, he concluded.