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The 2023 edition of the China Open will create history by having the largest paycheck for a winner in any WTA or ATP event outside of Year-End Championships.
WTA and ATP events will return to China after a 16-month absence in the wake of the disappearance of Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai, who made sexual assault accusations against a high-profile Chinese politician.
This year, the China Open will be a WTA 1000 level event, which will be held from September 30 to October 8, and an ATP 500 level tournament, which will occur from September 28 to October 4. Both will be played in Beijing.
The total prize money for the combined 2023 China Open will be $11.6 million. Of which, the total prize money for the women's event is nearly $8 million, and for the men's event, it is about $3.6 million. Both sums are the highest in international events of the same level.
The organizers have announced that winner of the women's China Open will be awarded $1.5 million, the biggest paycheck ever at any tennis event outside Year-End Championships. Meanwhile, the champion of the ATP China Open will get $650,000.
The organizers also revealed that men's World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz will participate in the ATP China Open. The complete lineup is expected to be announced in the next two to three months.
The other WTA tournaments which be held in China this year include Elite Trophy in Zhuhai, 500 Zhengzhou Open, 250 Ningbo Open, 250 Guangzhou Open, and 250 Jiangxi Open.
On the ATP Tour, other tournaments to be held in China are the 250 Chengdu Open, 250 Zhuhai Championships, and 1000 Shanghai Masters.
WTA Chairman Steve Simon explains the decision for the tour's return to China
WTA suspended all tournaments in China in December 2021 after Peng Shuai, a three-time Olympic medalist and two-time doubles Grand Slam champion, disappeared from the public eye after accusing high-ranking Communist Party leader Zhang Gaoli of sexual assault.
Shuai's disappearance also prompted the organization to ask Chinese officials to verify her whereabouts, which became a condition for the tour to return to China.
However, WTA Chairman and CEO Steve Simon recently stated that the boycott of events in China would end this year, knowing that the WTA's conditions will never be fulfilled by the Chinese government.
“The stance that we took at the time was appropriate. And we stand by that. But 16 months into this, we’re convinced that our requests will not be met. And to continue with the same strategy doesn’t make sense. So we needed to look at a different approach,” Simon said.
Simon believes that the return of tennis in China will be a force for good and affirmed that the tennis world has not forgotten about Peng Shuai's well-being.
"With this, our members believe it’s time to resume the mission in China, where we believe we can continue to make a positive difference, as we have for the last 20 years, while at the same time, making sure that Peng Shuai is not forgotten. By returning, hopefully more progress can be made," he added.
