Wilson is using its deep tennis heritage as a strategic advantage in China, turning its Beijing “Classics Accompany Time” pop up into an immersive lesson in the sport’s history rather than just another tennis themed backdrop. In a market where tennis is booming and brands are crowding into the category, Wilson’s focus on provenance and authenticity helps it stand out in a credible, long term way.
A heritage led tennis moment in Beijing
The activation is staged by Wilson in Beijing’s Sanlitun, one of the city’s key fashion and lifestyle districts, and runs from 1 May to 31 July 2026. The concept is to make visitors feel as if they are stepping into Paris’ Roland Garros during the belle époque, connecting Wilson’s current offer to the golden age of clay court tennis.
Inside, the “Classics Accompany Time” space uses:
- Archival storytellingto highlight Wilson’s long standing role in professional tennis.
- Retro product displaysfeaturing heritage inspired rackets, bags and accessories.
- Vintage tennis culture cuesin visuals, materials and set design to evoke early twentieth century clay court atmospheres.
Why heritage matters in China’s tennis boom
Tennis participation and fandom have been climbing steadily in China, attracting a wave of brands trying to tap into the sport’s clean, aspirational aesthetic. Many of these players, however, are recent entrants with little actual history in tennis, relying mostly on imagery, fashion and sponsorships.
Wilson’s Beijing pop up takes a different tack:
- It leans into decades of product development and on court presence, including its role as official partner of Roland Garros, to ground the brand in real tennis heritage.
- It uses museum like curationand storytelling to show how Wilson equipment has been part of the sport’s evolution, not just its current trend cycle.
In an increasingly crowded field of tennis inspired branding, this kind of depth gives Wilson a defensible point of difference that newer competitors cannot quickly copy.
The “Classics Accompany Time” experience
The pop up is designed as an experiential tennis court and gallery, rather than a standard store. Visitors can:
- Walk through heritage zonesthat mix archive imagery, historic product silhouettes and references to landmark tournaments.
- Discover the Wilson Sport Professionals (WSP) seriesand other premium lines in an environment that frames them as part of a continuous narrative from past to present.
- Engage with photo friendly set piecesand tactile displays that turn tennis history into shareable content for social media.
By tying the space to Roland Garros era aesthetics, Wilson also builds a bridge to its Roland Garros collections, which reinterpret the Paris clay court look in contemporary rackets, balls and bags.
Building cultural credibility, not just visibility
For global sports brands in China, visibility is no longer enough; consumers look for cultural credibility and a sense that the brand actually belongs in the scenes it engages with. Wilson’s Sanlitun project is a strong example of how to use physical retail and experiential marketing to:
- Tell a clear, brand right storyabout heritage and innovation.
- Anchor a product push in a specific time, place and culture(Roland Garros, belle époque, Sanlitun’s fashion milieu).
- Move beyond logo placement into meaningful participationin China’s fast growing tennis culture.
