While urban tennis players in Beijing and Shanghai face soaring court fees and steep private coaching rates, a county in Hubei province has built hundreds of public courts that cost next to nothing to book. Jingshan, a central Chinese county with a permanent population under 600,000, features 356 standardized tennis courts, according to reports published by yeeyi.com.
The cost contrast between major cities and Hubei
In metropolitan centers like Beijing and Shanghai, tennis carries a heavy financial and administrative burden. Outdoor courts typically cost between 100 yuan and 250 yuan per hour, while indoor facilities range from 300 yuan to 500 yuan per hour. Peak slots at facilities like the Chaoyang Park Tennis Center require players to book days in advance through mobile applications.
A city home to world-class tennis tournaments. A city known as China's "Tennis Town." Though thousands of miles apart, Atlanta and Jingshan are united by a shared passion for tennis. From elite competitions to neighborhood courts, the sport has become a common language for young… pic.twitter.com/31qWAldv2Q
Private coaching adds to the expense. Instructors in Beijing and Shanghai charge anywhere from 400 yuan to over 1,000 yuan per hour. Industry estimates cited by yeeyi.com place China’s total tennis consumption market at 480亿元 in 2025, representing a 23% year-on-year increase.
Jingshan offers a starkly different economic model. With 356 standard courts distributed across the city, the county boasts 5.67 tennis courts per 10,000 residents. Most public venues remain free during daylight hours, while evening sessions charge a nominal lighting fee of 20 yuan per hour. Visitors holding high-speed rail tickets and identity cards can access municipal courts for free through a local booking app.
Infrastructure and local development
Jingshan’s path to becoming a tennis hub began on a rudimentary scale. In 1983, the county’s first senior tennis team formed on a patch of wasteland at Wenfeng Park, where players initially leveled the dirt using farm animals and stone rollers. By 2008, following the Beijing Olympic Games, local authorities introduced policies integrating tennis into government offices, communities, enterprises, schools, and rural villages.
The Hubei Provincial Tennis School settled in Jingshan in 2018. Since then, the facility has trained more than 10,500 tennis players and accumulated 271 national-level gold medals, according to regional reports. The city also served as an early training ground for professional players, including Zheng Qinwen, who won her first youth title at a provincial under-10 girls’ singles tournament in Jingshan.
To support its sports tourism strategy, Jingshan has invested 2.6亿元 to construct the second phase of a professional clay court training base featuring 37 courts. Upon completion, the project is designed to serve as a major clay court training facility in Asia.
Tourism and economic impact
The influx of visitors seeking affordable tennis has boosted local commerce. During the National Day holiday period, Jingshan recorded 640,000 tourist visits and generated 4.16亿元 in tourism revenue, marking increases of 24% and 28% respectively. Local officials introduced promotions allowing travelers presenting railway tickets to receive complimentary access to tennis facilities and hot springs.
Transportation infrastructure improvements have facilitated this travel. Jingshan entered the high-speed rail network with the opening of the Jingshan South station on the Shanghai-Chongqing-Chengdu high-speed railway in late December 2025, serving a county with a projected gross domestic product of 450亿元 for that year.
Commercial operators in the area have adapted to the demographic shift by establishing tennis-themed hotels, restaurants, and cafes. Local clubs now feature more than 280 certified coaches and 23 registered organizations, positioning the county as a distinct destination for players seeking alternatives to high-cost metropolitan markets.
