Zheng Qinwen, Coco Gauff: Xiaohongshu aces China Open 2025

What happened Capitalizing on Gen Z’s fondness of tennis, youth-dominated social platform Xiaohongshu (also known as RedNote) became the 2025 China Open tournament’s exclusive content partner, expanding last year’s collaboration that generated nearly 100,000 posts and over one million daily discussions on the platform. The event is taking place at Beijing’s National Tennis Center from September 22 until this Sunday, bringing together 14 Grand Slam champions including Jannik Sinner, Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Świątek, Coco Gauff, and Daniil Medvedev. Local favorites Zheng Qinwen and Wang Xinyu are also on the lineup. At the time of writing, #ChinaOpentennischampionship has amassed 211.5 million reads on Xiaohongshu, while #2025Chinaopen has 43 million. From court to commerce Along with the platform’s official campaign, the tournament has fueled a tennis-themed marketing boom across China. In Shanghai, Nike’s Why Do It? campaign placed a giant tennis ball installation opposite a billboard featuring Zheng, creating the illusion that the star had hit the ball across the Huangpu River. The spectacle drew crowds and became a viral talking point. New Balance spotlighted its T-500 sneaker through a short film in which Real Madrid striker Endrick Felipe Moreira de Sousa plays a football-tennis match inside a shoebox, while On teamed up Roger Federer with Zendaya in a playful “air tennis” duel. Luxury fashion has also embraced the sport’s momentum on a global scale via ambassadorships: Dior with Zheng Qinwen, Louis Vuitton with Carlos Alcaraz, Miu Miu with Gauff, Burberry with Jack Draper, and Gucci with Sinner. Together, these moves underscore tennis’ rising visibility in China. The Jing Take Xiaohongshu’s partnership with the China Open marks a pivotal growth moment in the evolution of tennis culture among young people in China. With over 300 million monthly active users, 70% of them under 35, the platform has become a central hub for Gen Z engagement. According to marketing agency Comms8, 75% of Gen Z users have purchased a luxury product discovered on Xiaohongshu, positioning the China Open as a marketplace for aspiration, beyond its role as a sporting event. Post-match interviews on Xiaohongshu’s sports channel build connections between tennis stars and Chinese fans through moments like Gauff attempting to speak Mandarin, or Liudmila Samsonova learning her Chinese nickname (Milk Tea Baby). These moments fuel fan culture while signaling respect for Chinese identity, helping global athletes build new audiences. The Miu Miu effect In parallel, the rise of “tenniscore” fashion amplifies this cultural crossover. Once a niche aesthetic, “tenniscore” surged after Miu Miu’s 2022 collection and now thrives on social platforms, where micro-pleated skirts and polo tops align with Xiaohongshu’s luxury-driven content ecosystem. The trend has contributed to Ralph Lauren’s strong financial performance in China. By positioning tennis as a lifestyle trend rather than just a sport, Xiaohongshu demonstrates how athletic events can serve as both cultural and commercial opportunities. The partnership signals the growing influence of Western sports stars in Chinese fan culture. The Jing Take reports on a piece of the leading news and presents our editorial team’s analysis of the key implications for the luxury industry. In the recurring column, we analyze everything from product drops and mergers to heated debate sprouting on Chinese social media.

Xiaohongshu aces the China Open 2025

Upgrade to Pro

Sectors

Insights

Company

Xiaohongshu aces the China Open 2025