"Tennis Weekly Report by Orange Bay Sports" Officially Launches: Shanghai Masters and Wuhan Open Set New Box Office Records; Nadal Enters the Wine Business; Lacoste Shanghai Fashion Show;Rolex Signs Jódar...
"Tennis Weekly Report by Orange Bay Sports" is officially launched, rounding up the core developments of the global tennis industry . Covering key match results, tournament developments, tennis stars' brand collaborations, tennis brand updates, tennis investment and tennis education, it presents the highlights all in one place.
Tennis Weekly Report by Orange Bay Sports | Oct 17–23
Key Match Results
1) In the men's singles final of the Rolex Shanghai Masters held on October 18, Spain's Alejandro Davidovich Fokina defeated his compatriot Jódar 1-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 to claim the first ATP Masters 1000 title of his career.
2) In the final of the Wuhan Open held on October 18, Poland's Maja Chwalińska defeated Britain's Sonay Kartal 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 to claim the first WTA 1000 women's singles title of her career.
Tennis Tournaments
1) The Rolex Shanghai Masters released key figures for this year's event: total attendance reached nearly 250,000, of which 33% were local to Shanghai, about 12% came from overseas, and about 55% were domestic visitors from outside Shanghai. According to the tournament's official WeChat account, sponsorship revenue and box office both hit new highs. Yang Yibin, chairman of tournament organizer Shanghai Juss Event & Tourism Group Co., Ltd., disclosed at a media group interview that the event's total revenue was about RMB 500 million, of which sponsorship accounted for about 50%, box office about 20%, TV rights about 20%, and on-site souvenir sales and other ATP-related revenue each about 5%.
2) This year's Wuhan Open drew a cumulative 200,000 spectators over its nine-day schedule. According to Wang Qing, general manager of Wuhan International Sports Event Management Co., Ltd., this year's ticketing figures rose about 30% year on year.
3) The Australian Open and Tennis Australia recently announced a multi-year partnership with US software company Adobe, which becomes the event's "Official AI Marketing and Creative Partner." This is Adobe's first tennis tournament sponsorship anywhere in the world; the two sides will use artificial intelligence, creative and marketing technology to enhance personalized fan experiences during the tournament and throughout the year.
4) The ATP unveiled major reforms for the next phase of its "OneVision" strategy, to take effect from 2028, planning to raise total player compensation to about US$350 million (excluding Grand Slam prize money) — specifically, growing the bonus pool from US$21.5 million to US$50 million, providing an additional US$25 million in support for the year-end top 250, and contributing about US$30 million a year to pensions; it also plans to increase the ranking points weighting of top-tier events and optimize the calendar structure, including the previously announced addition of a tenth ATP Masters 1000 event in Saudi Arabia.
5) On October 20, the WTA announced that Greek yogurt brand Fage has become title sponsor and official yogurt partner of the WTA Finals, with the partnership running from 2026 to 2029.
Tennis Stars' Commercial Partnerships
1) Roger Federer recently appeared at the Houhai Water Tennis Court in Shenzhen, taking part in On's Thanks For Playing event and playing with junior players.
2) Rafael Nadal recently announced via his personal Instagram account that he has teamed up with Spanish winery Viñas Familia Gil, founded in 1916, to launch their first collaborative wine, El Tenista (meaning "the tennis player"), marking his official entry into the wine business.
3) Rolex announced that Rafael Jódar, currently ranked No. 11 in the ATP singles, has become the brand's newest ambassador.
4) Swiss sports nutrition brand KA-EX announced that tennis player Belinda Bencic has become a brand ambassador and its newest investor.
5) Aman hotels announced that its global brand ambassador and wellness consultant Novak Djokovic will appear in person at a wellness retreat held from December 18 to 20 at the Amanjena resort in Marrakech, Morocco. Themed "Stillness and Strength," the retreat is personally curated and hosted by Djokovic and includes tennis masterclasses, mindfulness and breathing exercises, bespoke spa treatments and daily nutritious cuisine.
Tennis Brand News
1) On October 22, French sportswear and fashion brand Lacoste presented its Fall/Winter 2026 collection show at Guangfulin Heritage Park in Shanghai, themed "Washed Out Match, Reimagined." This was creative director Pelagia Kolotouros's first full-season runway collection presented outside Paris since taking the role. Inspired by founder René Lacoste's rain-soaked Davis Cup experience in 1923, the collection explores the elegance of tennis culture beyond the court and the instinctive gestures of dressing for the elements.
2) On October 17, Ralph Lauren and the United States Tennis Association (USTA) announced a six-year contract extension, continuing their official US Open apparel partnership through 2032. As part of the partnership, the two sides will also jointly establish an annual dedicated fund within the USTA Foundation to support tennis and education programs for young people in under-resourced communities.
3) Babolat announced it has become an official partner of the new ATP 250 event, the Grand Prix Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. The tournament will be held from October 18 to 25 at the LDLC Arena on the outskirts of Lyon. Babolat will provide official racquets, strings, bags and accessories, supply clothing and footwear for ball kids and tournament staff, and serve as official stringing service provider in partnership with ALL IN STORE.
4) K-Swiss and Lucky in Love have officially released their collaborative Hypercourt Express 3 limited-edition tennis shoe. Combining K-Swiss's professional performance with Lucky in Love's fashionable, personality-driven design, the shoe comes in multiple colorways including a white-and-green preppy look and a red-and-pink romantic look, priced at US$130.
5) Fred Perry announced that, starting with the Finals eight-team event in Bologna in November, it will officially become the official apparel partner of the Davis Cup by Generali.
6) Lacoste released the new Tennis Ballerina shoe (below left), blending tennis shoe design elements with a ballet flat silhouette, priced at US$120. Earlier, at its Spring/Summer 2027 show in early October, Lacoste also unveiled a sneaker whose heel features a V-shaped split structure with an actual tennis ball embedded in the middle (below right).
Tennis Investment
1) According to the official WeChat account of Shanghai Guotou Xiandao Fund, Shanghai-based AI sports hardware company PangBot has completed a Series B funding round of several hundred million yuan. The round was led by Shanghai Guotou Xiandao Fund, with participation from Yuanhe PuHua, Pudong Venture Capital and other institutions, while existing shareholder BlueRun Ventures continued to increase its investment. PangBot has also just been announced as an official partner of the Australian Open and its official ball machine partner, as well as the official ball machine supplier to Tennis Australia's National Tennis Academy.
Tennis Education
1) The Rafa Nadal Academy announced that its ninth tennis center worldwide, Rafa Nadal Tennis Center Bahrain, will open in the fourth quarter of 2027 on the Amwaj Islands in Bahrain. The new center will feature six tennis courts (indoor and outdoor), three padel courts, a fitness and recovery area, a sports shop and a café, with the Nadal Academy coaching team offering programs for players of all ages based on its training system.
2) The new Mouratoglou Tennis Center in Odessa-Midland, created through a partnership between the Mouratoglou Tennis Center and West Texas private country club La Estancia, recently held its official opening. The new facility features five tennis courts and eight pickleball courts, offering junior and adult tennis programs, summer camps and private training to club members.
| Image source: tournament and brand official social media and press releases; athletes' personal Instagram