On the evening of September 29, Sichuan International Tennis Center, the 2026 Chengdu Open-ATP250 (hereinafter referred to as the Chengdu Open) men’s singles final day. Applause flowed from the stands to the center of the stadium. Spanish player Fokina defeated his opponent 2:0 and won his second championship of the 2026 season. If you only look at this day, it is the outcome of a tournament; but if you extend the time to the process since the Chengdu Open settled in Chengdu in 2016, you will find that it is more like the mutual understanding between a city and a group of players.
Alison Lee, executive vice president of ATP International Area, has the deepest feeling about the changes in players over the years. When she came to Chengdu for the first time in 2016, the team was still worried about the future development of the event. Ten years later, she stood on the sidelines of the same court and noticed that the players would actively discuss whether they could return next year. For players ranked 20 to 50 in the world, the ATP250 points and bonuses are related to the ranking at the end of the season. The Chengdu Open occupies a place on the calendar, so players will come year after year. But after arriving, the players discovered that they gained more than just points.
Most players know Chengdu from giant pandas. Canadian player Shapovalov reached the semi-finals of the Chengdu Open for the first time in 2019, but missed the opportunity to see giant pandas. When he returns to Chengdu in 2026, he specifically mentioned before the game that he must make up for his regrets this time. Alison Lee couldn't help laughing when talking about this incident: "Everyone's obsession with giant pandas is evident. Giant pandas make Chengdu no longer just a place name on the calendar in the eyes of players."
But what Chengdu brings to the players is far more than giant pandas. Fokina and Dutch player Grikosip walked into the Shu Brocade Cultural and Creative Park during the competition, stood in front of the Hualou loom, and listened to the commentator's introduction that only eight centimeters of brocade can be woven in a day. Grikospu lamented that what is pursued on the court is speed and power, but here people can see another kind of greatness - the beauty woven with time. From giant pandas to Shu brocade, players’ understanding of Chengdu has evolved from symbols to culture.
What is deeper than cultural experience is the connection between people. Chilean player Tabilo reached the men's singles final from the qualifying round at the Chengdu Open in 2025, defeating Musetti, the third runner-up at the Paris Olympics, and finally won the championship. Returning as the defending champion in 2026, he still cannot forget the touch brought by the Chinese fans on the final day in 2025: "I really feel warm to receive such support far away from home." Besides victory and defeat, some things remain.
The 2026 Mid-Autumn Festival happens to be during the event. The top seed of the Chengdu Open and Monaco player Vaschereau went to the West Village Courtyard in Chengdu, where he learned calligraphy, rolled hoops and spent the Mid-Autumn Festival with the children in the bamboo forest courtyard. The staff told him that the Mid-Autumn Festival is a day for Chinese people to reunite. He thought for a while and said: "This event can be regarded as a kind of reunion. The fans and everyone who supports me are my 'family'." These moments have nothing to do with the game, but are related to Chengdu.
The picture shows Monaco player Vaschereau spending the Mid-Autumn Festival with children at the West Village Courtyard in Chengdu. Photo courtesy of Chengdu Event Industry Development Co., Ltd.
The players brought back the stories that happened in Chengdu, and Chengdu was also seen by the larger tennis world. In 2025, Australian Prime Minister Albanese communicated with Chinese young tennis players at the Sichuan International Tennis Center, and later stated on social media that sports have brought the two countries closer. In November of the same year, the Australian Open Asia-Pacific Wild Card Tournament once again came to Chengdu, where Chinese player Buyun Chaoket got a ticket to the 2026 Australian Open main draw. The interaction between players and the city is extending into the interaction between the city and world tennis.
The relationship between Chengdu and tennis actually goes beyond these ten years. In 1916, the first tennis court in Chengdu was built in Huaxiba. Early tennis balls were made of hair as the core and sheepskin or cloth as the shell. Chengdu people called it "fur eggs." From "furry eggs" to ATP250, from the clay courts at Huaxiba to the hard courts at the Sichuan International Tennis Center, this city's passion for tennis remains unchanged over the past 110 years. The past ten years of the Chengdu Open are the latest chapter in this story.
At the end of the final day, there is only one champion. Fukina took away the honor, and Tabilo took away the regret of being eliminated early; what more players took away were the memories of this city - giant pandas, Shu Brocade, Mid-Autumn Festival, and those extremely touching moments. In the past ten years, the biggest change in the Chengdu Open may not be in the scoreboard, but in the players' itinerary: they no longer come just for the competition; when they leave, they will talk about Chengdu.
