Hong Kong Tennis Chief Defends Jam-Packed Calendar Amid High-Profile Withdrawals

He has been stung by the likes of Emma Raducanu and Naomi Osaka bailing out of his tournaments at the eleventh hour, but the head of Hong Kong tennis has thrown his weight behind the sport’s controversial jam-packed calendar. Equally, Michael Cheng Ming-git, president of the Hong Kong, China Tennis Association (HKCTA), said the city was getting bang for its buck from hosting ATP and WTA 250 events every year. After a spate of high-profile withdrawals from last week’s Canadian Open, the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) raised concerns over a relentless schedule and the expansion of top-tier tournaments. In each of the past two years, Raducanu and Osaka have pulled out of the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open citing fitness problems, while half of the original eight-man field backed out of last October’s inaugural Ultimate Tennis Showdown (UTS) in the city. Nonetheless, Cheng believes the nearly year-round programme of competitions is merely one element of tennis’ evolution.