China Open Launches 2026 Ball Boy Selection in Beijing

The 2026 China Open tennis tournament kicked off its ball boy selection on July 31 at the National Tennis Center in Beijing, drawing nearly 1,000 young hopefuls from the capital and surrounding regions. The selection, targeting youth aged 10 to 17, marks the beginning of preparations for the 20th edition of Asia’s premier tennis event, scheduled for September 28 to October 11.

According to China News Service, the selection process included written tests and physical fitness assessments designed to comprehensively evaluate candidates’ suitability for serving at the tournament. The China Open, recognized as the highest-level and largest comprehensive tennis event in Asia, relies on ball boys for critical on-court duties including ball retrieval, passing, and assisting officials.

Training and Assessment Ahead

Successful candidates will undergo centralized training and final assessment from August 4 to 12, according to Gao Yuan, General Manager of the China Open Company’s Event Operations Center. The training program covers tennis rules, court service standards, emergency handling, and English communication, with practical simulations designed to help ball boys improve their professional skills in a short period.

“Ball boys who pass the selection will participate in centralized training and final assessment from August 4 to 12,” Gao said, as reported by People’s Daily Online. “They will receive systematic training covering tennis rules, court service standards, emergency handling, and English communication.”

Gao emphasized that the program adheres to the “integration of sports and education” philosophy, incorporating rule awareness, responsibility, teamwork, and cross-cultural communication into the training. “This project not only focuses on improving ball boys’ sports skills and event service quality, but also incorporates educational elements,” he said, allowing youth to achieve unity of physical exercise and character growth in international events.

Expanding Reach with Hohhot Station

This year’s recruitment introduced an innovative first: a special selection station in Hohhot, held on July 27, where four outstanding ball boys received direct training passes. Youth who did not qualify at the Hohhot station were still eligible to participate in the Beijing selection, according to the China Open’s official account on NetEase.

A Legacy of Grand Slam Success

The China Open Ball Boy Growth Program, launched in 2012, has been running for 15 years and has become a hallmark of the tournament’s commitment to youth development. According to the Baidu Baike entry on the program, it was co-founded by the China Open and the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation, with China Life Insurance serving as the diamond sponsor.

To date, 96 China Open ball boys have successfully appeared at Grand Slam tournaments, demonstrating that the service level meets world-class event standards. In January 2026, six China Open ball boys served at the Australian Open, with all six entering the top three show courts and four reaching Rod Laver Arena, the tournament’s center court. The 2026 Australian Open Ball Boy Program Head, Lorey Bentley, praised China Open ball boys as “professional on court, friendly and humble off court,” as documented on Sina Sports.

In May 2026, four additional ball boys were selected to serve at the French Open at Roland Garros, continuing the program’s international exchange initiative. Returning ball boy Zhang Xinyue, who served at the 2025 French Open, described the experience: “The clay court brought completely new challenges. The feel when passing the ball is totally different from hard court, and footing is more slippery when running. We only had two days of adaptation, which was challenging but helped us grow quickly.”

A Milestone 20th Edition

The 2026 China Open marks the 20th anniversary of the tournament, which was founded in 2004 and is co-organized by the National Sports Administration, Beijing Municipal Government, and China Media Group. The event has been officially recognized as a national brand event and reaches audiences in more than 150 countries and regions.

In a significant development for this year’s tournament, HSBC became the presenting partner of the China Open in June 2026, marking a strategic upgrade milestone for the event. The 2026 edition also adds a new ITF MT400 international amateur tennis masters event, expanding the tournament’s structure to cover everything from world-class professional competition to amateur participation.

What to Watch For

With the ball boy selection now underway and centralized training beginning August 4, the China Open’s preparations are moving into high gear. The tournament will feature WTA 1000 mandatory women’s competition, ATP 500 men’s competition, ITF J300 youth events, and the newly added ITF MT400 amateur masters. As the selected ball boys complete their training and prepare to take the court in September, they will join a legacy that has already seen nearly 1,000 young people serve at the China Open and 96 progress to Grand Slam stages worldwide.