Catch Top Tennis Players Live in Action While Travelling Asia!

Wimbledon, perhaps the most prestigious tennis tournament in the world, is currently ongoing, taking place from June 23 to July 6. If you’re missing out on catching the matches live, fear not, for there are plenty of other professional tennis tournaments taking place closer to home this year.

The ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) and WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) Tours will be making many stops around Asia in the latter half of 2014 – to catch the world’s top tennis players compete, act quickly and add these tournaments to your travel itinerary!

China

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In recent years, Asian countries have been gaining traction in hosting tennis events, with China leading the pack. This year, China will be hosting ATP World Tour 1000, 500 and 250 tournaments over three successive weeks, with the Shanghai Rolex Masters, Shenzhen Open and China Open.

There will also be a good number of WTA Tour tournaments happening from July to October, especially with three of the WTA 125K series taking place in various parts of China. With this many tournaments, tennis fanatics are surely spoilt for choice – don’t miss the chance to catch top players like Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams in action!

• ATP World Tour 250: Shenzhen Open (Sep. 22  – Sep. 28)
• ATP World Tour 500: China Open (Sep. 29 – Oct. 5)
• ATP World Tour Masters 1000: Shanghai Rolex Masters (Oct 5. – Oct. 12)
• WTA 125K: Jiangxi International Women’s Tennis Open (July 21 – July 26), Caoxijiu Suzhou Ladies Open (Sep. 1 – Sep. 6), Yinzhou Bank International Women’s Open (Oct. 27 – Nov. 2)
• WTA International: Guangzhou International Women’s Open (Sep. 15 – Sep. 20), Tianjin Open (Oct. 6 – Oct. 12)
• WTA Premier 5: Wuhan Open (Sep. 21 – Sep. 27)
• WTA Premier Mandatory: China Open (Sep. 27 – Oct. 5)

Hong Kong

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For the first time in 20 years, Hong Kong will once again host a WTA Tour event, with the Hong Kong Tennis Open taking place in September this year. Players Peng Shuai (the third highest ranked Chinese player) and Eugenie Bouchard (the 2013 WTA Newcomer of the Year) have already confirmed their participation at this tournament, with the rest of the player list to be released on 29 July. If you are planning to visit Hong Kong, why not do it in September and get a dose of tennis action while on vacation?

• WTA International: Hong Kong Tennis Open (Sep. 8 – Sep. 14)

Korea

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An outdoor hard courts tournament, the KDB Korea Open Tennis Championships will be held at the Seoul Olympic Park Tennis Center in September this year. Fun fact: in 2009, by winning this tournament, Kimiko Date-Krumm became the second oldest woman ever to win a WTA Tour title at the age of 39! If you are looking for a more unique activity to add to your travel itinerary while in Seoul, attending this tennis tournament should be at the top of your list!

• WTA International: KDB Korea Open Tennis Championships (Sep. 15 – Sep. 21)

Japan

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Japan is another main spot for tennis tournaments in Asia, with players like Kei Nishikori boosting the sport’s popularity in the country. The Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships is the longest-running tennis tournament held in Asia, boasting past champions like Pete Sampras, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. It takes place in Tokyo, together with the Toray Pan Pacific Open, while HP Japan Women’s Open Tennis will be held in Osaka. It will be well worth a trip to these two major Japanese cities in order to catch top tennis players battling it out in the above tournaments!

• ATP World Tour 500: Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships (29 Sep. – 5 Oct.)
• WTA Premier: Toray Pan Pacific Open (Sep. 15 – Sep. 21)
• WTA International: HP Japan Women’s Open Tennis (Oct. 6 – Oct. 12)

Taiwan

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Planning on visiting Taiwan for your year-end holidays? Why not spend some time catching a match of competitive tennis at the OEC Taipei WTA Ladies Open, one of the final WTA tournaments of the calendar year. It is part of the WTA 125K series, which aims to give a chance to emerging markets to showcase women’s tennis while allowing up-and-coming players to play in more tournaments. With Asia benefitting the most from the WTA 125K series, you should definitely grab the opportunity to visit Taiwan and attend this event!

• WTA 125K: OEC Taipei WTA Ladies Open (Nov. 3 – Nov. 9)

Malaysia

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Held in Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian Open is the only ATP World Tour event that takes place in Southeast Asia, and should surely not be missed by tennis fans residing in the region. Three of the current top ten ATP players, Juan Martin Del Potro, Kei Nishikori, and Milos Raonic have confirmed their participation this year, promising a high level of tennis at this tournament. Tickets are already on sale – do act quickly to avoid missing out on watching these players face off on court!

• ATP World Tour 250: Malaysian Open (22 Sep. – 28 Sep.)

Singapore

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Marking the end of the women’s tennis season, the WTA Championships gathers the world’s top 8 female players in a round robin event. Singapore was awarded the right to host this year-end tournament from 2014 to 2018 in a record deal, and this year marks the first edition of the event that will bring superstar players like Maria Sharapova, Li Na, and Serena Williams to the Lion City. As one of the most prestigious tennis tournaments in the world, attending this event is sure to be a much coveted and exciting experience!

• WTA Tour Championships: BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore (17 Oct. – 26 Oct.)

Inspired? Plan your journey to watch these players live with TripZilla’s Travel Packages to Asia!