China News Service, Wenzhou, November 12 (Zhang Yicong) The soles of the shoes rubbed and creaked when making an emergency stop; the shadow of the ball shuttled back and forth between swings. On the 12th, the semi-finals of the 2026 World Tennis Masters MT1000 Wenzhou Station were in full swing. Since its start on November 9, the event has entered its fourth competition day. Nearly 700 players from 38 countries and regions have played here, including nearly 100 foreign players.
As the highest level in the World Tennis Masters series, MT1000 has only two stops in Asia: one in Yamanashi, Japan; and the other in Wenzhou, China for the first time.
"Wenzhou is the best": players vote with rackets and steps
During the tournament, Jamaican player Fitzroy House had a perfect start - two 6-0s. Outside the arena, what he prefers to talk about is the mountains. “The scenery around the stadium is beautiful, and the catering and traditional culture here are eye-opening.” He said, hoping to come again next year.
The 75-year-old Canadian player Ralph McCulley came to Wenzhou to compete for the second time. He remembered the food here and the people here: "Wenzhou is a very lovely city with a friendly atmosphere." It is precisely because he likes this city that he has become an "old friend" of this game.
Pablo Forroer, a Russian-Greek player, has lived in Greece for the past ten years and practices tennis all year round for fun. When asked about his evaluation of the venue for this event, his answer was straightforward: "This is the best."
Si Yuping, a 71-year-old player from Chengdu, and her husband came to Wenzhou for the first time - the city is beautiful and the events are warm and interesting. This is her first impression of Wenzhou. After the competition, she has included Wuma Street, Sanyang Wetland, and Siqian Street in her itinerary.
An event is also a window. Every time international players swing their rackets on the court and every time they stop in Wenzhou, they are accumulating reputation for this city. For Longwan, MT1000 is not only an event, but also a platform based on the integration of "sports + culture and tourism", allowing the public and overseas players to share international events and Ouyue culture on the same venue.
Four years of "triple jump": Why Asia's top events settled here
In July this year, the International Tennis Federation officially changed its name to World Tennis. The event was simultaneously upgraded and renamed, and a new brand logo was launched. The renamed Asia's highest-level Masters tournament was held in Longwan, Wenzhou.
The "1000" in MT1000 represents the event points level. The World Tennis Masters is divided into five levels from MT100 to MT1000. The larger the number, the higher the event specifications, entry thresholds, competitive content, and radiation range. Strict international standards are implemented for the supporting facilities, organization, and service guarantees for hosting the tournament.
This international tournament is open to tennis enthusiasts over 30 years old around the world. It has 8 age groups from "30+ to 70+", 5 categories of men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles, and 36 individual competitions. The total prize money is 600,000 yuan.
As the venue for this event, Longwan District has a close relationship with this event. In 2023, MT400 landed in Longwan for the first time, with more than 270 players participating; in 2024, the number of participants doubled, and it won the World Tennis Federation's "Event Recognition Award" for the first time; in 2025, the event was upgraded to MT700, attracting 411 players from 12 countries and regions. This year, the event advanced to MT1000 and completed the "triple jump" in Longwan.
"Wenzhou does not compete with first-tier cities in investment in professional events, and has found a differentiated path for hosting events." Zhang Jian, Party Secretary and Director of the Longwan District Sports Development Center, said that Longwan chose to focus on top-level public tennis events, thereby taking advantage of the local Yaoxi landscape resource advantages.
Beyond the racket: Highlighting a city’s hospitality
A tennis match also showcases a city’s hospitality, both inside and outside the game.
The day before the competition opened, nearly 700 players from home and abroad sat together. On the cold dishes, paper-cut and rice sculpture intangible cultural heritage elements complemented the Ou mandarin; salty soy milk with fried dough sticks, prawns with prunes, and wheat ale wine were served one after another. The twelve Ou dishes attracted many foreign contestants to take photos with their mobile phones. During the dinner, the singing of Ou opera sounded, and a "cultural feast" began.
During the tournament, the third Wimbledon Market opened next to the court. Interesting tennis games attract young people to try their skills; the lacquer fans and sachet stalls are crowded with curious overseas faces; the aroma of lean meatballs and rice cakes mixes with the sound of hitting balls on the court.
Currently, the schedule is halfway through. On November 9, 32 will advance to 16, on the 10th, 16 will advance to 8, the semi-finals will be competed on the 11th, the semi-finals will be held on the 12th, and the final and award ceremony will be held at the Wenzhou International Tennis Center on the 13th.
"MT1000 is a major breakthrough for Longwan to build a 'tournament capital'." Zhang Benfeng, deputy mayor of Wenzhou, said at the opening ceremony that Wenzhou will strengthen the organization of the event, do a good job in venue guarantee and safety management; deepen cross-border integration, combine Ouyue intangible cultural heritage, Ouyue cuisine, and fun sports to launch an economic consumption package for the event; invite players to visit Wenzhou after the competition to experience the charm of Ouyue with "warm mountains and rivers, open vitality, and long ancient charm".
