Another example of tennis' continued growing popularity in Asia was the addition of a third event in China on the WTA calendar. The Shenzhen Longgang Gemdale Open debuted the first week of the 2013 season at the Longgang Tennis Centre, which features 32 courts, and a 4,000-seat Centre Court that uses Hawk-Eye.

Chinese superstar and former French Open champion Li Na did her home country proud by capturing the inaugural edition. Taiwanese sisters Chan Hao-Ching and Chan Yung-Jan were victorious in doubles.

A major city in the south of Southern China's Guangdong Province just north of Hong Kong, Shenzhen's modern cityscape is a result of a vibrant economy fueled by foreign investment. It is deemed southern mainland China's financial hub and hosts the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, of which Gemdale is listed on as a property developer.