(Yicai) Oct. 19 -- The Rolex Shanghai Masters is, without a doubt, China's most profitable commercial sports event, according to the event operator's spokesperson.

The 2026 Rolex Shanghai Masters generated CNY500 million (USD74.8 million) in revenue and welcomed about 248,000 spectators, with television broadcast covering 160 countries for up to 20,000 hours, Yang Yibin, chairman of Shanghai Juss Sports and Entertainment Group, told media outlets, including Yicai.

Sponsorship revenue accounted for about half of the total revenue, while box office and television copyright dividends accounted for around 20 percent each, Yang noted. “Another 5 percent came from on-site merchandise sales, and the remaining 5 percent came from other Association of Tennis Professionals-related income.”

Shanghai's first professional tennis event was the Heineken Open in 1998, followed by the ATP Finals in 2002 and from 2005 to 2008. The ATP1000 Rolex Masters has been held in Shanghai every year since 2009, excluding the three editions in 2020, 2021, and 2022, which were canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The event has been developing, and the market has been growing,” Yang pointed out. “As a symbol of mature markets and events, the annual financial data will not fluctuate much.”

Even though superstars such as Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, and Carlos Alcaraz either missed the tournament due to injuries or were eliminated early, attendance was very high this year, according to Yang. “The number of spectators was 250,000 at the event last year, and is about 248,000 this year,” he noted. “Thirty-three percent of them are from Shanghai, 55 percent are from other regions of China, and about 12 percent are from overseas.

“The more spectators come to the tournament, the more income it generates and the greater commercial value it realizes,” Yang said, adding that he believes there is still a lot of room for improvement. “With the completion of the renovation of the Qizhong Tennis Center, the number of spectators will gradually rise to 400,000 in the next three to five years, which will definitely bring more revenue to the event.”

The renovation of Qizhong Tennis Center is expected to start after events end in 2027, aiming to create a tennis industry cluster centered on events, venues, and player training. “We will also create more service spaces for events, accommodating more spectators and providing them with a better experience,” Yang noted.

Ticket revenue reached a new high this year, although the number of spectators slightly decreased. “This year, private seats sold better than in previous years,” Yang explained.

A ticket bundle jointly planned by Juss Sports and retired superstar Roger Federer provided the best viewing spots, famous Italian restaurant chef services, and special interactions with Federer. The product, which costs about CNY30,000 to CNY40,000 (USD4,490 to USD5,990) per person per day, with only 66 spots a day, has brought total sales of over CNY8 million (USD1.2 million).

Among the nine ATP1000 Masters events worldwide, the Rolex Shanghai Masters ranks first in business-to-business sponsorship revenue. It boasts traditional sponsors in the international tennis market, such as Rolex, JP Morgan, Emirates Airlines, and Heineken.

Moreover, in early October, Abu Dhabi’s sovereign investment institution Mubadala announced that it had become a new sponsor of the Rolex Shanghai Masters, marking the first time that the institution has collaborated with an ATP1000 event.

Editors: Tang Shihua, Futura Costaglione