Advertisement
Zheng Qinwen fuels China’s tennis boom as Olympic gold is followed by spike in interest
- Tennis clubs report surge in player numbers, while some Chinese parents say the sport can help children stand out when applying for college
Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
4
![Zheng Qinwen in action during the Cincinnati Open on Friday. Photo: Getty Images via AFP](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/1020x680/public/d8/images/canvas/2024/08/17/bbb1d940-389a-4eab-9c1b-2c66c2e7aa68_d857d2a2.jpg?itok=kPLq1oMM&v=1723887231)
Zheng Qinwen’s historic tennis gold at the Paris Olympics this month followed a decades-long surge in the sport’s popularity among China’s burgeoning middle class, and her victory is set to boost it even more.
Advertisement
The 21-year-old won China’s second-ever tennis gold, and first in singles, on the clay at Roland Garros, hailing the victory as a “proud” moment for herself and her country.
This week in Beijing, tennis centres were full of kids and adults, while club bosses reported a spike in interest following Zheng’s title.
“I think it’s really fun to play tennis and I’ve been playing it for three years,” 14-year-old Zhang Xinghao said after a session at the Beijing International Tennis Academy. “I truly like this sport.”
![Children practise tennis in Beijing, where clubs have reported a rise in interest since the Olympics. Photo: AFP Children practise tennis in Beijing, where clubs have reported a rise in interest since the Olympics. Photo: AFP](https://img.i-scmp.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2024/08/17/532722c1-40b2-427d-9606-8c1eaf21939b_df35304d.jpg)
![](https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/_next/static/media/wheel-on-gray.af4a55f9.gif)
Advertisement