FILA has expanded its presence in the Chinese tennis market beyond professional sponsorship, deploying a multi-tier strategy during the 2026 China Open that blends immersive fan activations, seasonal apparel lines, and proprietary footwear technology.
The 2026 tennis season in China reached unprecedented spectator volumes, drawing hundreds of thousands of fans to the Diamond Court at the National Tennis Center in Beijing and driving continuous social media engagement. Building on an eight-year sponsorship history with the China Open, FILA structured its recent campaign around four pillars: on-site event experiences, seasonal design narratives, technical footwear innovation, and grassroots community development.
Building a Immersive Fan Village Outside the Diamond Court
At the 2026 China Open, FILA transformed public tournament spaces into the “Have A Fila Day” tennis carnival. Located outside the main arena, the activation featured the CASA FILA Tennis Lifestyle House and the Positano Town spectator zone, designed to merge athletic viewing with Italian-inspired leisure.
Rather than relying solely on traditional courtside branding, the brand constructed mini tennis courts for novices alongside dedicated viewing lounges for veterans and lifestyle retail zones. Brand ambassador Wang Anyu and tennis ambassador Bu Yunchaokete appeared on-site to showcase what the company terms “Tennis Apres Style,” bridging post-match relaxation with daily apparel. On the Diamond Court itself, Bu Yunchaokete contested a three-set match against Novak Djokovic while wearing FILA kit, linking elite athletic competition with accessible consumer touchpoints.
Mapping Seasonal Aesthetics to Grand Slam Cultures
FILA aligned its product lines with the international tennis calendar, translating the distinct aesthetic traditions of major surfaces into everyday wear. The brand utilized a foundational “pure white” tennis motif while tailoring regional collections to specific tournament identities.
For the French Open at Roland Garros, actress and model Quying and freestyle skiing world champion Wang Xindi fronted a campaign centered on clay-court styling. At Wimbledon, the brand introduced an updated Grand Slam Polo and hosted “Style Tennis Sessions” in Suzhou featuring Wang Qiang and Li Zhe, bringing traditional grass-court dress codes to public participants. The core product catalog throughout the season included the iterative Grand Slam Polo featuring 3D-Pro cutting and moisture-wicking fabric, the heritage-inspired Susan Skirt, and the Settanta Victory Jacket, combining Italian stripes with retro athletic styling.
Launching Proprietary Titanium Footwear Technology
The platform’s flagship release, the FILA Netto Titan shoe, marks the first time titanium alloy technology has been integrated into a commercially available mass-produced professional tennis shoe. Developed over two years and tested by professional athletes including Bu Yunchaokete, the footwear is engineered for multi-directional stability during rapid acceleration, lateral cutting, and deceleration. Zhang Depei endorsed the design, noting that footwear stability remains critical for players over long-format matches.
Expanding Grassroots Tournaments Across Twelve Cities
To convert spectator interest into sustained participation, FILA established structured competitive pathways for both adult amateurs and youth players across twelve Chinese cities.
Partnering with the China Open, the FILA ACE CLUB Member Cup team tournament drew 1,200 amateur players through regional qualifiers, culminating in finals held on the professional courts at the National Tennis Center, where Zhang Depei presented the trophies. For younger players, the FILA KIDS Diamond Cup—running a four-tier system from club to national finals—engaged over 5,000 participants in 2026. The youth tournament integrated pre-event training camps led by Grand Slam-experienced coaches with standard tournament operations, offering top performers international academy pathways.
