visit the great wall, visit the forbidden city, eat roast duck and watch peking opera. stars participating in the china open praise beijing
2024-10-02
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the 2024 china tennis open is in full swing. there are 6 top 10 women's singles and 4 top 10 men's singles participating this year. the player lineup is quite luxurious. this year's french open and wimbledon double champion alcaraz is the no. 2 seed in the men's singles. , he admitted that the china open is one of the most difficult atp500 tournaments.
although the draw is very difficult and the competition is very stressful, the players who came to beijing still did not forget to experience china's traditional culture and authentic beijing life. this year, the china open’s player reception was held at the county prince’s mansion. at the reception, the players experienced intangible cultural heritage items such as sugar paintings and lacquer fans, immersing themselves in traditional chinese culture. beijing's traditional and well-known attractions have naturally become favorite places for players after training and games.
wta players naomi osaka, gauff and other famous players have posted photos of climbing the great wall, which made sabalenka very envious: "i have been to china many times, but i have never been to the great wall. it seems that i have to put it on my wish list. on." sabalenka's best friend badosa went to zhongshan park and traveled through time and space to take intimate photos with the "grogs".
alcaraz and gauff, two post-2000 grand slam champions, came to the forbidden city to visit and experience the beauty of the historical architecture of ancient beijing. gauff said: "it's really cool to be surrounded by so many historical buildings. it feels like a scene from a movie. it looks so incredible and huge." alcaraz also said: "these are so impressive, these the architecture is so amazing and magnificent." this trip to the forbidden city also inspired the two young players to have a strong interest in chinese culture. gauff said, "i will spend some time studying chinese history."
in addition to visiting scenic spots, the players also fell in love with the authentic beijing life. for example, naomi osaka went to eat roast duck and watch peking opera to experience the charm of the cultural life of old beijing. sabalenka went to a large shopping mall to shop and eat, and experienced with the efficiency and convenience of modern beijing, navarro went into the community, did morning exercises with beijing aunts, and experienced the daily life of ordinary beijing citizens.
the itinerary outside the stadium is rich and colorful, and the experience inside the stadium is even more considerate and comfortable. this year, the player area of the china open has been fully upgraded, including the locker rooms, gym, and lounges, which have all been renovated and become more spacious and comfortable. as an old friend of the china open, sabalenka is very familiar with everything here, but she was still very surprised after coming here this year. “there have been many upgrades in the locker room and gym, and the player area has also been renovated. i just arrived. when i saw it, i said: wow, it’s so new! it’s so modern! i really like it. it feels very fresh.”
both shang juncheng and alcaraz participated in the china open for the second consecutive year. both said that many of the facilities at the china open, such as the gym, locker room, player area and player lounge, are great, and the hardware is up to standard. very clean. shang juncheng also said that after coming to china open this year, he found that the space in the player area has become larger, which surprised him. "the player area is very important to all professional players, because this is our working environment. it gives us a very good working environment, and overall the china open is a great competition.”
the locker room that surprised the players this year has a total area of nearly 230 square meters after expansion. not only is it equipped with independent cabinets, independent showers, ice baths and other equipment, it also has a player physiotherapy room and locker room together to facilitate players to change. a good place to recover and a recovery room is also available for the players. the gym is divided into two independent spaces for strength and stretching. the total area of the strength area exceeds about 330 square meters, which contains brand-new treadmills, wind resistance bicycles, barbells, leg muscle stretching training machines, comprehensive training tables and other equipment. the extension area is also about 220 m2.
the players’ restaurant is divided into two areas: south and north, providing players with a variety of healthy, nutritionally balanced and qualified meal options including chinese food. sabalenka likes fried rice, osaka naomi and gauff, etc. you can eat beijing roast duck here. regarding her ability to always perform well in china, sabalenka joked: "maybe it's the magic of fried rice!" her relationship with fried rice began when she came to china to compete in competitions many years ago. this time she participated in the china open barenka still misses fried rice: "i really like chinese fried rice!" there is also a players rest area on the third floor of the players' restaurant, which also has entertainment and leisure facilities.
professional players compete all over the world all year round, and a sense of freshness is very important to them. sabalenka said that because she participates in the same events every year, every time the facilities are upgraded, she will feel like she is in the same event. participating in a brand new competition, and after participating in the china open for so many years, she will have new experiences and feelings almost every time she comes. this is also an important reason why she looks forward to coming to the china open every year, "this is very fresh, i like it very much, it’s a lot more comfortable and convenient this year and i’m enjoying racing here.”
in addition to praising the facilities in the china tennis players area, alcaraz also mentioned that the overall feeling of this tournament is very comfortable, "for me, this tournament is great, and everything here is good for the players." it's all very good, i love playing here. the fans and people here are very good to me and they always try to help us and make us feel comfortable, so it's been a great tournament since 2017. sabalenka, who has never missed the china open since the beginning, has become more and more affectionate here. "i have felt all kinds of things in beijing these days. i feel like i am at home."
editor li yilinzi
