Shenzhen is cementing its status as one of Asia’s premier tennis destinations, with two major events confirmed for later this year.

The Billie Jean King Cup Finals will return to the city’s Shenzhen Bay Sports Center – nicknamed the Spring Cocoon – from 22 to 27 September, marking the second consecutive year the prestigious women’s team tournament has been held in the city.

Eight nations will compete in the 63rd edition of the tournament, known as the World Cup of women’s tennis. China qualified automatically as hosts, joined by seven nations who secured their spots through the April qualifying rounds – Great Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Spain, Ukraine, Belgium and either Switzerland or Czechia.

Italy arrives as two-time defending champions, having defeated the United States 2-0 in last year’s final. A record 148 nations competed in qualifying for this year’s finals, underlining the growing global reach of women’s tennis.

The format pits eight teams across two round-robin groups of four, with group winners advancing to the final. Each tie consists of two singles matches and one doubles match.

Shenzhen’s tennis calendar does not end there. The 2nd World Tennis Continental Cup (WTCC) is set to return to the city from 25 to 27 December, building on the success of last year’s inaugural edition.

The exhibition event pits Team Europe against Team World in mixed-gender singles and doubles competition, and previously attracted top names including Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina, Andrey Rublev and China’s own Wang Xinyu and Zhang Zhizhen.