President of Hong Kong, China Tennis Association Michael Cheng is on Straight Talk today to talk about how Hong Kong's soft power and complementing our efforts are building the city into a popular professional tennis events destination.
Check out the full transcript of TVB’s Straight Talk host Dr Eugene Chan’s interview with Michael Cheng:
Chan: Good evening, and welcome to Straight Talk with Eugene Chan! Our guest this evening is the president of the Hong Kong, China Tennis Association, Michael Cheng. Cheng has been actively involved in advancing tennis in Hong Kong since the year 2013. A key figure in bringing the WTA 250 tournament to the city and organizing the Hong Kong Tennis Open, Michael has over a decade of leadership experience within the Hong Kong China Tennis Association. He served on the Elite Sports Committee of our Sports Commission and also on the Kai Tak Sports Park Advisory Committee. In the year 2021, Michael received Chief Executive Commendation for Community Service for promoting tennis for Hong Kong. Welcome, Michael!
Cheng: Thanks for having me, Eugene!
Chan: We know that tennis has been a very popular sport, and today we are at the very famous Victoria Park Centre Court and thank you for organizing it. But to the viewers, how popular is tennis in Hong Kong?
Cheng: Hugely popular. I think tennis is thriving in Hong Kong. From a community perspective, there are club leagues happening every day, almost all community tennis societies are organizing their own competition. And at the elite level, you're seeing very good results coming from our athletes. For instance, Coleman Wong is getting very good results in the last couple of years, making a name for Hong Kong. Now, insofar as mega events are concerned, we used to have one. Well, we used to have none for a number of years, and then we started having one, and then two. And in the last 12 months, we've got three mega events in Hong Kong, attracting huge crowds. And these events are being broadcasted in hundreds of countries, being distributed in these countries, while attracting 200,000 spectators to the stadium.
Chan: Right, Michael, since you mentioned that we're having all these tournaments, for the general public, not everybody will have the opportunity to come to Victoria Park to watch tennis. Somebody said that tennis will be the fifth most popular sport in Hong Kong. Would you agree?
Cheng: I think it would be higher actually, because if you look at the uniqueness of tennis, tennis, it's an international tourist sport. It's exciting and it's also accessible; if you sort of apply all these tests, it is an individual gladiatorial sport. It is something that people enjoy playing. I think maybe sometimes it's because of limitations on accessibility of tennis courts. But otherwise, in fact, it's a hugely popular sport.
Chan: Right. So, I mean, you have been involved with tennis over the last decade. How have you seen tennis evolving over this period? Has it become more popular, or even to the older age group? Or has it gone to a young age group?
Cheng: No, I think overall, globally, you're seeing this sort of aging population for tennis, but also in Hong Kong. I think Hong Kong is, when I say it’s international, but also regional as a sport, that means it's accessible to all walks of life, i.e. everyone has their own interesting tennis journey. They would pursue their passion in their own little way. It is accessible to the kids. It's accessible to club players, to the college players, the school team players, and the professional and the retired elderly. The whole idea of the mission of a federation of promoting tennis is about activating the sport at every opportunity available. So, I think Hong Kong is doing that very, very well.
Chan: Since you have been involved with, I mean, Hong Kong tennis, you have brought back all these tournaments. And I've heard that for quite some time, we haven't had an ATP tournament. I’m talking about the men's open. Is that true?
Cheng: Well, it was … men's tennis left Hong Kong back in the day in 2002. Some 22 years ago. Those … that sanction moved actually north to the Chinese mainland, in Shanghai, and we have been actively negotiating, and we brought back the sanction last year. So, that was the first edition in 20 years. And coming up next week, we have the second edition of the ATP 250 being held in Hong Kong. So, I'm quite happy to see professional events more and more coming to Hong Kong at this point in time. Hong Kong is the third city in Asia to be hosting ATP and WTA events in the same city, and that's a testament to the commitment being put in by the government, by corporate sponsors, and also by the Federation, and bringing these events to Hong Kong.
Chan: So, in other words, the Hong Kong tennis season will be like having three events. You have your WTA 125, WTA 250 and now the ATP 250. So, what do all these figures mean to the viewers, what does 125 mean? What does 250 mean?
Cheng: Well, these are representative of the points, the ranking points the players are going to get. We believe that in a metropolis like Hong Kong, the financial hub like Hong Kong, we should be benchmarking against other financial hubs – New York, London, Shanghai. And they all have men's and women's events, and that's the reason why we try to benchmark and try to host all these events in Hong Kong. We're just not going to stop there. I think the whole point of creating a Hong Kong tennis season is about building a little swing in Hong Kong, where there are some smart events popping up on the international tennis calendar. Now we have three, and I don't think we're going to stop there.
Chan: Right, since you mentioned Hong Kong is one of the very few cities that had all these events, will you say that it really puts Hong Kong back on the global map as a tennis hub?
Cheng: I think we are slowly building Hong Kong to be back on the map as a tennis hub. When you think about promotion of tennis or activating tennis, I see two tranches – one is about activation and the other one is about events. If you really want to make a name for Hong Kong, you need to look at the activation side, having a very robust participation and education strategy in developing tennis at all levels and on the event side, you are really trying to create Hong Kong as a serious event destination. More events are coming up, and these two activations and also events go hand in hand if you do these two things; that's when you build a name for Hong Kong. But for sure, we are on the right track. Having two events in Hong Kong, keep winning awards for Hong Kong. All that shows that we have the technical competence to be able to deliver very, very good mega events to Hong Kong and contribute to the economy.
Chan: I mean, the title of tonight's show is, will holding all these international events in Hong Kong serve an ace for Hong Kong? I think some prizes have been given to us. Is that right?
Cheng: Yes, we pride ourselves in building very, very good events. Back in the day, in 2018, we won the Tournament of The Year award for the WTA, 250 category, and this year we won it again. It shows that we have the consistency in delivering high quality events to Hong Kong, and not just on the women's side, on the men's side, even in the first edition last year when we look at ratings, we're comparing to award winning tournaments like The Queens. Queens actually got a player ratings of 4.3 right. Hong Kong in the first edition got 4.2. So, it shows that Hong Kong, again, is on the right trajectory, that on the technical competence, on the level of service, supporting the tour and supporting the players, we're right up there, and we know that we're doing a very, very good job there.
Chan: Since you mentioned we had this men's tournament some 20 odd years ago, I remember the time when Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe came to Hong Kong in the ’90s. I think we have like, four out of the top 20 players playing next week in Hong Kong. How difficult is it nowadays to attract those players to come to Hong Kong to play for us?
Cheng: The 250 category is not the most major event. So, really it's about sometimes the destination, the support we provide to the players. And the players talk and they come to Hong Kong, and having four top 20 players coming to Hong Kong shows that we can attract a very, very strong field. Now, when you look at the players, you ask the players for their consistent feedback about Hong Kong. It's really about a few things. Number one it’s cultural hospitality. We really look after the players Hong Kong as a metropolis, as a city. They enjoy coming to Hong Kong and having a good time. But at the same time, if you look at the … as much as we can critique and talk about Victoria Park being a very dated venue. It's a venue which is loved by the players too. That it is in the middle of the town, it’s very, very convenient. There's an intimate feeling, a vibe to playing in front of the Hong Kong crowd, because it's a packed stadium all the time when they come to play. So, there are a number of reasons why players find Hong Kong such an attractive destination. We're playing on the same surface, the same balls, under the same weather as Australia Open as well. So, all that put together and makes Hong Kong out of these three stops, you're getting extremely good players rating because of the soft skills and the software that we support them.
Chan: Michael, since we are at the Centre Court. What is the key extra capacity of the court? And do they actually get packed for the coming week?
Cheng: It's going to be jam-packed. If you look at … it's not just about the stadium, but also that we have a tournament village. Every time we attract about 50,000 spectators to each event. If you multiply that, adding the Davis Cup and everything, you're talking about … 200,000 coming to the stadium for these three to four events. And that shows that we are attracting very, very good crowd, and people are enjoying the tennis and Hong Kong.
Chan: Michael, let's take a short break now. But viewers, stay with us. We will be right back.
Chan: Thank you for staying with us. The president of the Hong Kong, China Tennis Association, Michael Cheng, is with us this evening, talking to us about the opportunity for Hong Kong to host international tennis tournaments. So, Michael, thank you for telling us what you have done for the last decade, bringing three events to Hong Kong, making Hong Kong a very, sort of a desirable place for players and fans to come. And they will be attracting over like 20,000 fans for next week's tournament. So, let's talk about our local stars. We know that recently in Hong Kong, we have done pretty well in sports. We have Edgar Cheung Ka-long in fencing and Siobhan Haughey for swimming. And looks like we have a Coleman Wong for Hong Kong’s tennis. So, how good is Coleman? And how has the association helped him and prepared him for the future?
Cheng: Coleman is a very, very strong player, especially for his age, right? So, look at this year. He almost made it to the Next Gen final, to play in the final, and that is historic. In any given birth year, you have around, on average, four persons that could actually break into the top 100. He is as strong as that, that he has the potential of breaking the top 100. So, it is about four around the globe. Now we support him on the technical side, not just we as an association, the government, the Hong Kong Sports Institute, we all support him. We provide technical support, we provide financial support, but as a federation, we also are in constant liaison with external agency, external tournament operators, the ATP, ITF, and also external sports associations, so that we can actually try more support for Coleman. For instance, recently at the Shanghai Masters, we managed to get him a wild card. That is to do with external collaboration and partnership with the China Tennis Association, where we try to exchange these wildcards, so that we can actually further the development of our own player. He is a huge prospect and we are behind him, and also all the top players that are coming through the system.
Chan: Michael, I have done some homework before meeting you today. This year's Olympic gold medalist in the Paris Olympics, Zheng Qinwen from China, won the gold … the first Asian, either male or female athlete to win the first Olympic gold. And also Li Na, our former Chinese Olympian, also the first one major, winning both the 2011 French Open and the 2014 Australian Open. So, that means Asians do have the physique to be at the top, top level of tennis. Why has it not been Hong Kong having the first player winning the Olympics? What has been stopping Hong Kong from getting there since you said tennis is a very popular sport in Hong Kong?
Cheng: I think in Hong Kong, it’s a hugely popular participation sport. Our players are beginning to realize that there is a pathway, now that you can see how Asian players are coming through. Now, in the case of China, however, you are looking at a decade or over two decades of investment, investing into the pathway, having the right structure in place, having more events. They have a lot more events, more than a dozen, ATP and WTA events, and not to mention ITF events. And also two decades of investing into the infrastructure. If you put all that together, that is building that pathway. I think there is a blueprint now that Hong Kong can replicate what is done on the mainland, but we have to put in place that same strategy, that same investment, in order for it to bear fruit. So, we are at the beginning of that path, I’d say.
Chan: Right, President. So, do we have what it takes to have champions from Hong Kong because … do we have the coaching facilities? Do we have the hardware? Do we have the government policy supporting it? What is your view on that?
Cheng: I think there is. We are moving on the right track, but there are gaps. I think we need to continue. It is a continuous assessment, right? In so far as these pathways are concerned, we need to continue to build and enhance the path. I think we have the basic pathway in Hong Kong, but at the same time our players need to compete overseas, right? So, we need to have a strategy to see how they compete overseas. We need to bring more events to Hong Kong, and we need to upgrade the infrastructure, for instance. Look at Victoria Park, it was built in the 1980s. So, it is … and in fact we are now seeking exemption from the regulator, in order to have events here because the measurement of the court is actually not compliant.
Chan: You mean it’s too … not …
Cheng: It is too tight.
Chan: Too tight.
Cheng: As the court and the players are now so athletic, they are moving around so much that the court is becoming too tight to play on.
Chan: Right. So, would you say one of the biggest challenges for us to hold all these international events will be our actual premise?
Cheng: That is one of the main primary shortage. A lot of the Asian stadiums … benchmark against the mainland, if you look at Shanghai and Hangzhou, they have much bigger stadium and they have retractable roof, for instance. Now, retractable roof is actually one of the most important thing in tennis, because if you think about the pathway, it is not just about the structure, the strategy, the coaching strategy, but it is also about undisrupted training facilities and availability, so to speak.
Chan: Right.
Cheng: Two things which are super important, or three things. Number one, clay courts. A slower court helps you build on the technique and that is the reason why a lot of the Spanish players are thriving.
Chan: Right.
Cheng: Number two is covered courts, so that there will be no disruption because of weather. And a lot of places, a lot of more advanced tennis nations have that. Thirdly, is upgraded tennis events, we should be having a lot more tennis events in Hong Kong. So, we bring overseas competition to Hong Kong, and when our players see it, it becomes much more relatable. But in order to do that, you also need upgraded facilities. That facility here at Victoria Park is a very intimate setting because it is so tight. But at some point, we really need to think about how we can upgrade these facilities, having more events, and having clay courts and covered courts. Put it all together, that was the blueprint for China.
Chan: Right. President, you made a comment after the potential Hong Kong Tennis 125 that Hong Kong will be unable to stage elite level tennis event unless Victoria Park is revamped. I think you just explained to us the reason why, but it is going to take a long time. For something in Hong Kong to happen, you need the policy, you need the budget, you need the building. So, what can we do in the meantime?
Cheng: I think you need to expand on the … there are minor improvements that we could do in Victoria Park, but that is only putting a bandage on, right? Involving some of the public courts, involving some of the private clubs, put it all together, you may get more courts. And that is a stop-gap solution. But ultimately in the medium to long term, you need a more coherent strategy and trying to build a tennis facility and a tennis precinct in pushing the tennis strategy of Hong Kong.
Chan: Right. As I am sure all of us know that the Kai Tak Sports Park is now open and there will be a lot of events going to go there in 2025. Do you think there is a future chance of actually hosting the Hong Kong tennis season series, especially while the Victoria Park isn't ready? Would that be an option or can it be a replacement for Victoria Park?
Cheng: There are two parts to this question. I think when we put in a series of events, that is actually to try to push the Hong Kong tennis strategy and building a very novel brand for Hong Kong. And we are not going to stop there, and hopefully we will be able to build more events in Kai Tak as well. But when you think about Kai Tak and also Victoria Park, I actually think that we are talking about apples and oranges, so the two of them complement each other. If you look at all the financial hubs around the globe – London, New York and Paris, they all have outdoor events and indoor events … the Madison Square Garden and the Flushing Meadows, Wimbledon and also the O2 Stadium. When you think about that, it is, in fact, in Hong Kong, you need both. The Victoria Park is a dedicated tennis facility and you need dedicated tennis facilities to build players. But at the same time, with the indoor facility, you could actually do a lot with it, an ATP Final or other events, or exhibition events. So, I actually think that if we really want to benchmark internationally, Hong Kong needs to have both Victoria Park and also indoor facility, which is purpose built for multi-purpose.
Chan: Right, President, you know that when we are having a tournament in Hong Kong, you need sponsors. And it used to be a lot of tobacco companies before. That is no longer allowed. And this time you have, well, partnering with a financial institution. Is that the objective of the tennis series to be partnering with more sort of banking financial firms? Would it be your direction?
Cheng: That would … our direction is this: we want to attract not sponsors, but partners, right? Partners that believe in that same mission, that tennis promote the healthy lifestyle, tennis is gladiatorial sport where it is all about problem-solving and individual leadership and thought leadership. If we are hoping that we could actually attract partners like that, I think that tennis events like us, we really want to be focusing on Hong Kong being a part of a metropolis, a financial hub, we should be attracting financial brands.
Chan: Right. A very quick question and brief answer. Do you think GBA will contribute to Hong Kong's tennis?
Cheng: For sure, right? If you think about that, GBA … Hong Kong wants to build a little tennis series. And when you think about that, it is really building a tennis hub in the GBA. And we really should be targeting at becoming the tennis capital of the Greater Bay region, as a region. And then in the meantime, we are actually building thorough leadership around it and attract a name for Hong Kong internationally.
Chan: Right. Thank you, Michael. I think we have to leave it there and we will have you back next time. And we have heard how hosting world-class tournaments can position Hong Kong as a global tennis hub and a destination for international players and fans alike. We also look forward to seeing more homegrown tennis champions in Hong Kong and do support next week's event. And thank you for joining us and see you next week!
