2024 is widely regarded as a breakout year for tennis in China. With players like Zheng Qinwen achieving international success and government policies promoting community tennis spaces, the sport is rapidly shedding its elitist image and evolving into a competitive, socially engaging, and stylish urban lifestyle. In the same year, UPT tennis brand opened its first store in Shenzhen Futian, positioning offline venues as key touchpoints connecting people to the sport. While traditional clubs rely on coaching resources and court rentals, UPT employs a multi-dimensional “tennis+” model to expand rapidly across first-tier and new first-tier cities, securing spots in prestigious commercial landmarks such as Beijing Wangfujing Zhonghuan, Shanghai Lujiazui Center L+ MALL, Shenzhen Ping An Financial Center PA MALL, and Chengdu Huanmao ICD.
With over 70 offline stores and 200,000 registered members, how is UPT navigating market challenges and capitalizing on opportunities to transform tennis from a niche pursuit into a mainstream activity? The brand shares its insights.
**The ‘Tennis+Art+Commerce’ Multi-functional Space**
**Q: What inspired the founding of UPT, and why did you choose the tennis sector?**
UPT: UPT was established in 2024, with its first store in Shenzhen Futian. From the start, we focused on the upgrading wave of sports consumption in China. As the national fitness strategy gained momentum, domestic tennis events heated up, and a full-chain consumption ecosystem covering “learning, playing, watching, and buying” began to take shape. We clearly identified a massive market opportunity as tennis transitions from niche high-end sport to a lifestyle. However, industry pain
