Following the success of China’s female tennis stars in the mid-2000s, including medal-winning performances at the Olympic Games Beijing 2008 by Yan Zi and Zheng Jie in the women's doubles, the sport enjoyed a huge increase in interest and participation. The success of these athletes has helped fuel a US 4 billion investment into tennis across China and growing participation, with an estimated 14 million players today.
This increase in popularity occurred, in part, thanks to the creation of programmes such as “Dan Fei” (Fly Solo), which provided professional players with increased autonomy, and the Potter's Wheel academy in Beijing, which supports the rise of the next Chinese tennis stars. Other sports in China are also following this model.