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And this is Story in the Story.
With more international tournaments visiting the country and strong government support and investment, tennis has entered the athletic mainstream in China.
Over two decades since her debut appearance at Wimbledon, Chinese legend Li Na still remembers her awkward introduction to the iconic London tournament.
Li first competed in Wimbledon in 1998 and played her final career match at the same tournament in 2014.
Li, who inspired the boom after winning Asia's first major title at the 2011 French Open, emphasized that increased funding and exposure does not guarantee Grand Slam champions will follow.
When Li turned pro in 1999, China had only two entry-level tournaments.
Now the Women's Tennis Association calendar features nine Chinese tournaments, including the premier mandatory China Open in Beijing and year-end WTA Finals in Shenzhen.
Five Chinese women are ranked in the world's top 50, spearheaded by No. 18 Wang Qiang.
Today's Story in the Story looks at women's tennis and how a new generation of players is emerging on the world stage.
Wang Qiang of China plays a backhand in her Ladies' Singles first round match against Vera Lapko of Belarus during Day two at Wimbledon, July 02, 2019. (Photo: VCG)
Fifteenth-seeded Wang Qiang of China avoided another first-round exit at this year’s Wimbledon tennis tournament, beating Vera Lapko of Belarus 6-2, 6-2 in under one hour.
Her victory equalized her best record at Wimbledon and came a year after she was beaten by compatriot Zheng Saisai in the first round.
In 2017, she reached the second round but eventually lost to Venus Williams. Wang has made great progress in recent years and is now ranked 15th in the world.
Wang breezed through the win, firing off five aces on 80 percent first serve shooting and 68 percent on the second.
Wang has been working with professional coach Pancho Alvarino since May.
Earlier this year, Wang was the 21st seed at the Australian Open.
It was the first time for Wang to head into a Grand Slam as a seeded player.
The 26-year-old achieved a career breakthrough last season as she qualified for two straight semifinals in Wuhan and the China Open.
Wang said her goal was, "to reach the semifinals at the Grand Slams is a great accomplishment, while I haven't gone to the second week yet.”
"That's what I have to aim for. I will chase after the legendary Li Na as hard as possible. I believe I can make it there sooner than expected," she said.
Zhang Shuai of China in action during the first round of the 2019 Wimbledon Championships Grand Slam Tennis Tournament against Caroline Garcia of France in London July 1, 2019. (Photo: IC)
Having a player from the world's most populous nation back among the women's elite is good news for tennis, said tennis CEO Steve Simon.
"She really has the chance to be a top-10 player," Simon said.
"You can see the refinement of her game coming. This week shows she's learning to compete. She started poorly in some matches, then worked her way back to win them,” Simon explained.
There’s no question that Wang's performance will help inspire more investment and more young players.
"There's a lot of really talented young junior Chinese players coming through the system inspired by examples like Wang. I think it's exciting," Simon also said.
Since tennis returned to the Olympics in 1988, China has invested heavily in the sport, and the world's second-biggest economy now hosts dozens of top-tier and second-tier events all year round, allowing its players to compete with the best.
The Chinese Tennis Association has also brought in foreign coaches and even moved its national championships, so it no longer clashes with Wimbledon.
Right now, China’s second-best female tennis ace is Zhang Shuai.
Zhang overwhelmed 23rd seed Caroline Garcia of France in the first round at Wimbledon.
Zhang, for the first time, booked the second-round ticket in her sixth trip to the Wimbledon women's singles main draw competition.
The 30-year-old Chinese capitalized on two double-faults from Garcia to take the first set, paving her way to a straight set win.
"It was, indeed, my best grass court performance. I am happy to win," said Zhang.
(Produced by Nancy Yan Xu, Lance Crayon, Brian Lowe, and Chelle Wenqian Zeng. Music by: bensound.com. Text from China Daily.)