Ningbo has been a center of professional tennis since 2010. Till 2019, the city hosted seven editions of ATP Challenger events. In 2023, the event held a professional tennis tournament which was given a WTA 250 status. From 2024, the tournament was upgraded to a WTA 500 event.
The Ningbo Open features a singles and a doubles event. The main draw of singles and doubles has a bracket size of 28 and 16 respectively. Each event is played in the single elimination knockout draw. The singles draw also has a provision of four players who enter the main draw based on their performance in a qualifying draw of 16. Moreover, there are three slots reserved for wild card entrants.
Both singles and doubles matches are played in the best of three sets format. A set is won when six games are won with a difference of two. If both players or pairs are tied at six games apiece then a tiebreak of seven points decides the set. The first to seven points with a difference of two wins the set. In doubles the third set is played as a match tiebreak wherein the first to ten points with a difference of two is declared the winner.
A total of 500 points are earned by the champions whereas the runners-up receive 163 points each. As of 2024, the total prize money of the event is USD $922,573. The singles and doubles champions are rewarded with USD $142,000 and USD $47,390 respectively.
Ons Jabeur won the tournament as a WTA 250 event in 2023 whereas Daria Kasatkina clinched the trophy in 2024 as a WTA 500 event.
