Hong Kong tennis chiefs look at options for Victoria Park after Kai Tak ruled out as venue

Hong Kong tennis chiefs are looking at options for upgrading the government-owned Victoria Park venue with a view to staging better events, after learning the new Kai Tak Sports Park was not equipped to replace it. Michael Cheng Ming-git, president of the Hong Kong, China Tennis Association (HKCTA), revealed his organisation was conducting a feasibility study on the Causeway Bay venue, examining whether and how it could meet requirements for hosting leading tournaments. Cheng reiterated his previous verdict that Victoria Park Tennis Stadium needed a vital upgrade if Hong Kong was to compete with the world’s best sporting hubs. “The government is aware of our work and that aspects of Centre Court, which was built in the 1980s, are no longer compliant with [regulations] set by the professional tour,” he said. The venue hosted the Bank of China Hong Kong Open last week, and players were quick to praise the event. The women’s equivalent, October’s Prudential Hong Kong Open, won the WTA 250 tournament of the year award. “Victoria Park is a perfect site. It’s a perfect location … We do not want to give up on this site,” Cheng said. “There isn’t [another stadium] in the world against the backdrop of a cityscape and a harbour landscape, and because of that, and because of the convenience, the players love it. “Ultimately, in the next five to 10 years, for Hong Kong to be treated as a serious sporting destination, we need to upgrade our facility.” There are four levels of ATP and WTA tour tournaments in tennis: the 250 events, which Hong Kong already hosts; 500 and Masters 1000 events; and the grand slams. Winners are awarded ranking points based on the number of the event, and grand slams are worth 2,000. If Hong Kong hosted an event higher than 250 level, it could attract bigger names and bigger crowds. However, Cheng said that would be difficult: Victoria Park was already not compliant with the rules for hosting ATP and WTA 250 tournaments, given that Centre Court was 1.5 metres narrower than stipulated. The tennis stadium has a capacity of 3,600 and is managed by the government’s Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD). It opened in 1982 and when not used for tournaments has 13 courts for public use. Victoria Park had eight courts for the Hong Kong Open this year, an increase from the six required by the ATP and WTA for 250 events. However, with close to 60 competitors, each wanting several hours a day to practise pre-tournament, it was still below some players’ expectations, and they voiced concerns to organisers. Cheng said it was mainly an issue for the bigger-name players who wanted to prepare for the Australian Open, the first grand slam of the season. “We are getting an exception from ATP and WTA to host an event like this [because the court is too small] … We really should not be shooting for a target where we meet just the minimum requirement,” Cheng said. “We aspire to be the best, and that’s why we won the tournament of the year for the WTA 250. Taking a five-year, 10-year view of how tennis should transform in the sports sector, I think a 44-year-old facility needs an upgrade, for sure.” The LCSD said it would “maintain close communication with HKCTA to understand the technical requirements” and “explore the feasibility of further upgrading the facilities ... with the aim of attracting more high-level tennis events to Hong Kong”. Cheng said that the soon-to-be-opened Kai Tak Sports Park was not the answer to Hong Kong’s tennis dilemma. Although Kai Tak will have some outdoor courts, there would not be enough for an ATP or WTA tour event. The city could still host ATP and WTA Finals-style events and the Davis Cup, which demand only two courts, according to Cheng. However, last year’s Davis Cup tie at Victoria Park was poorly attended, the ATP Finals will be staged in Italy until 2030, and the WTA Finals and ATP Next Gen Finals both made the jump to Saudi Arabia last year. Cheng also said that splitting the tournament between the two venues would make it lose its charm. “The players love it, and the players’ rating stands for a lot … the challenge with this facility [Victoria Park] is that it’s just too tight. It becomes so intimate, but that’s why the players love it.” Many of the players at last week’s Hong Kong Open praised the event, including for its proximity to hotels, shopping and dining. Kei Nishikori was among them. “I don’t feel like it’s 250 [level]; it’s almost like Masters level,” the former world No 4 said. “I think all the players were happy. I wanted to do more shopping. Maybe next year.”

Hong Kong tennis chiefs look at options for Victoria Park after Kai Tak ruled out as venue

Upgrading old government-owned venue vital if city ‘aspires to be the best’, association president says, with Kai Tak not meeting criteria