Hangzhou 2026 - ATP 250 Preview
(23 - 29 September) Medium-pace surface, slow conditions. In Hangzhou the humidity and heat pull the hard court back toward medium pace — and long, draining matches are on the table.
This is my Preview of the ATP 250 of Hangzhou (AITO Hangzhou Open), that was first held in 2024. This tournament replaced the Zhuhai Championships on the ATP Tour calendar. The first games of the main draw will start tomorrow.
Hangzhou, a city in China with almost 13 million residents and situated about 200 kilometers from Shanghai, is a major business hub hosting many leading companies. The event will be held at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre tennis complex, which features a central court seating 8,000 and equipped with a retractable roof.
Hangzhou is only around 40 metres above see level.
Speed Data
These are the stats of the last two seasons:
- 72.5% of points won on the first serve
- 79.0% of service games held
- 0.62 aces/game
- 0.20 tie-breaks/set
The tournament is played on outdoor hard courts.
According to the ITF, the courts in Hangzhou are made of DecoTurf (Acrylic), and the speed conditions are classified as "medium”.
Based on the 2024 & 2025 stats I would clasify the overall conditions -taking into account the humidity- as medium pace.
Results
2025: Bublik d. Royer
2024: Cilic d. Zhang
Weather
From September 23–29, Hangzhou will begin warm and relatively dry, with highs of 29–32°C (84–89°F), lows of 21–22°C (70–72°F) and humidity highs around 85%. Temperatures will rise sharply on Friday and Saturday, reaching 34–35°C (94–95°F), before falling back to 29–32°C (85–89°F) by the end of the period. The most significant change will be from dry or sunny conditions early in the week to a much more humid and unsettled weekend and early next week, with thunderstorms possible from Saturday onwards. Winds should remain moderate at approximately 6–16 km/h (4–10 mph), becoming slightly stronger towards Monday and Tuesday.
Players' Statements
Kukushkin, 2024: “It’s tough conditions, with the high humidity. His slipped on the sweat and got a little bit injured so I feel sorry for him, but I am pretty happy I managed to win in these conditions. I feel very good here I’m playing very well on this court. I like the court and the conditions. I’m enjoying my time here."
Nakashima, 2024: "It's my first time here and I'm really enjoying my time here so far. It's a little bit hot and humid but this court is really great to play on.."
Summary
Medium pace hard court conditions. Surely the surface is fast, but the high humidity makes things a bit slower.
Very tough weather conditions expected. Humidity will be a key factor in all the matches. And it's not only that the humidity is a big issue here, but also the temperature, with around 35 celsius degrees some days. In addition, no strong breeze is expected, which will make it even more uncomfortable.
Note that two big servers like Cilic and Bublik have won here the first two editions.
Draws
Here’s the link to the tournament draws, which you can check for updates at any time:
- Main draw: https://www.protennislive.com/posting/2026/4713/mds.pdf
- Qualifying Draw: https://www.protennislive.com/posting/2026/4713/qs.pdf
