The 2018 WTA (Women's Tennis Association) Wuhan Open is currently underway at Optics Valley International Tennis Center in Wuhan, central China's Hubei province. The event, which is being held from Sept 21 to 29, held an opening ceremony on the evening of Sept 23.

Officials including Chen Anli, deputy governor of Hubei province, and Zhou Xianwang, mayor of Wuhan city, attended the ceremony.

Germany's Angelique Kerber, who won the Wimbledon Championships in July, officially opened the event, along with government officials in attendance.

Performances including traditional lion dances, light shows, and robot dances were staged for visitors.

The Wuhan Open, together with the China Open and Shanghai Masters, are China's top professional tennis competitions. From 2014 to 2028, the Wuhan Open will be held annually each September.

This year's event has a total prize fund of $2.7 million. And nine of the top 10 players listed in the WTA rankings will compete during the event.

Optics Valley International Tennis Center in Wuhan, Hubei province [Photo provided to China Daily]

Robots dance at the opening ceremony of the 2018 WTA Wuhan Open, on Sept 23. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Chinese player Zhang Shuai returns a serve during a competition on Sept 23. [Photo/Xinhua]