Aryna Sabalenka was impressed by some new facilities that have been installed at the China Open.

The Belarusian has returned to the Chinese capital in a bid to win the title for the first time in her career.

She arrives at the tournament having won the successive titles in Cincinnati and the US Open and is hunting down Iga Swiatek at the top of the WTA world rankings.

Aryna Sabalenka is the top seed in Beijing after the Pole withdrew due to personal reasons and she is the clear favourite to win the title.

The 2024 edition of the tournament has been upgraded to a two-week event, joining Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid and Rome to become the fifth WTA Tour 1000 event.

To accommodate the larger group of players, the tournament upgraded the facilities at Beijing’s National Tennis Center.

The venue is home to 34 courts, including four indoor courts and three clay courts. Facilities such as the gym and break area have also been refurbished.

Sabalenka is happy with the upgrades and explained it helps her to approach the tournament with a fresh mindset.

“Yeah there are so many upgrades in the locker room, in the gym, players area being upgraded, renovated,” she told reporters before she begins her campaign on Thursday.

“When I first came, I was like, Oh, wow this looks new. It’s beautiful, kind of modern looking. I like it. It’s kind of like a fresh feeling.

“Every year we play the same tournaments. When they upgrade the facility every time, it just makes me feel like I’m playing another tournament, it’s something new, it’s fresh. So, yeah, I like it. It’s more comfortable, more convenient. Yeah, I like it.”

Sabalenka is the number one player at the China Open and she faces some stiff competition from the likes of Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff, Emma Navarro, Jasmine Paolini and Olympic champion and home favourite Qinwen Zheng.

Pegula is entering the tournament in good form following a successful North American hard court season in which she lost just two matches, both against Sabalenka.

After reaching the first Grand Slam semi-final of her career in New York, Navarro will be determined to keep her momentum going in Beijing.

Paolini and Gauff each had a disappointing run on the hard courts of North America, but the Asian swing serves as a chance to start afresh and rekindle their form.

Zheng meanwhile, returns home as the Olympic champion and will look to feed off the home support as she goes in search of his first China Open title.