Shanghai Rolex Masters 2026, China - ATP 1000 Masters

britbox

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DATE: 7 - 18 October, 2026
SURFACE: Hard
PRIZE MONEY: $9,415,725
FIELD SIZE: 96
2025 CHAMPION: Valentin Vacherot

Seeds and Draw

1 Zverev, Alexander
2 Alcaraz, Carlos
3 Shelton, Ben
4 Auger-Aliassime, Felix
5 Medvedev, Daniil
6 Cobolli, Flavio
7 Tiafoe, Frances
8 Fils, Arthur
9 de Minaur, Alex
10 Djokovic, Novak
11 Fritz, Taylor
12 Jodar, Rafael
13 Mensik, Jakub
14 Tien, Learner
15 Paul, Tommy
16 Nakashima, Brandon
17 Vacherot, Valentin
18 Darderi, Luciano
19 Bublik, Alexander
20 Ruud, Casper
21 Cerundolo, Francisco
22 Lehecka, Jiri
23 Rublev, Andrey
24 Musetti, Lorenzo
25 Davidovich Fokina, Alejandro
26 Khachanov, Karen
27 Blockx, Alexander
28 Etcheverry, Tomas Martin
29 Tabilo, Alejandro
30 Humbert, Ugo
31 Michelsen, Alex
32 Buse, Ignacio

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The Shanghai Rolex Masters

The Rolex Shanghai Masters is one of the crown jewels of the ATP Tour and the only ATP Masters 1000 event held in China. Since its inaugural edition in 2009, the tournament has established a reputation for exceptional organisation, world-class facilities, and an atmosphere that consistently ranks among the very best in professional tennis.

Qizhong_Forest_Sports_City_Arena_tennis_court.jpg

hA.Lai.lai., CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Players themselves recognised its outstanding quality by voting it ATP Masters 1000 Tournament of the Year in each of its first five editions from 2009 to 2013—an achievement that reflects the tournament's commitment to excellence both on and off the court. In 2023, Swiss watchmaker Rolex renewed its title sponsorship, further cementing the event's status as one of the ATP Tour's flagship tournaments.

The tournament is held at the impressive Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena, a state-of-the-art tennis complex renowned for its spectacular magnolia flower-inspired retractable roof. The centre court seats approximately 15,000 spectators, making it one of the largest tennis stadiums in Asia, while the surrounding complex provides world-class facilities for players, officials, and fans alike.

Played on outdoor hard courts, the Rolex Shanghai Masters is a pivotal event during the closing stages of the ATP season. As players battle for valuable ranking points and qualification for the ATP Finals, the tournament regularly features many of the world's biggest stars and produces some of the year's highest-quality matches.

With its striking venue, passionate crowds, and reputation for excellence, the Rolex Shanghai Masters has become one of the most prestigious tournaments outside the four Grand Slams and remains a showcase event for tennis in Asia.

Shanghai

Shanghai is China's largest city and one of the world's great global metropolises. Situated on the banks of the Huangpu River, it has evolved from a historic trading port into an international centre for finance, commerce, culture, and innovation. Today, its breathtaking skyline is recognised around the globe as a symbol of modern China.

Pudong_Shanghai_November_2017_HDR_panorama.jpg

King of Hearts, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

The city's most famous waterfront, The Bund, offers a striking contrast between historic European-style buildings and the futuristic skyscrapers of Pudong, including the Oriental Pearl Tower, Shanghai Tower, and the Shanghai World Financial Center. This blend of old and new gives Shanghai a unique identity unlike any other city in Asia.

Beyond its modern skyline, Shanghai offers vibrant shopping districts, world-class restaurants, tranquil classical gardens, and a rich cultural heritage influenced by both Chinese tradition and international history. The city is renowned for its efficiency, excellent public transport, and lively atmosphere, making it one of Asia's most accessible destinations.

As one of the world's leading sporting cities, Shanghai regularly hosts international events ranging from Formula One to athletics and elite tennis. During the Rolex Shanghai Masters, the city welcomes fans from around the world, creating an exciting atmosphere that reflects its cosmopolitan character.

Shanghai_von_oben.jpg

LunMa4, CC BY 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Dynamic, sophisticated, and constantly evolving, Shanghai provides the perfect setting for one of the ATP Tour's most prestigious tournaments and serves as a fitting finale to the Asian hard-court swing.

Tourism

 
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MargaretMcAleer

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Draw Ceremony to take place on Monday 5th October 10.30am local time,

Withdrawals ( to date),
Sinner (knee) Rinderknech ( abdominal) Fonseca ( abdominal)


Main Draw Wild Cards,
Bu Yunchaokete
Wu Yibing
Zhang Zhizhen
Yi Zhou
Gabriel Diallo (CAN)
 
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MargaretMcAleer

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Draw has taken place with Zverev and Djokovic are in the same half,

Projected QFs ( if the seeds hold )
Zverev (1) vs Cobolli (6)
Shelton (3) vs Tiafoe (7)
FAA (4) vs Fils (8)
Alcaraz (2) vs Medvedev (8)

Notable 1st round matches,
Shapo vs Norrie
Rune vs Altmaier
Machac vs Zhang
Van Assche vs Bu
Fery vs Cilic
 

MargaretMcAleer

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Shapo has just announced he is withdrawing, after his injury in Tokyo he will be replaced by a LL
 
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britbox

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It's an impressive tennis complex in Shanghai



The facility has 25 courts, including three main courts - centre court, grand stand court 2, and court 3. The centre court has a capacity of just under 14,000.
 

PhiEaglesfan712

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Milestones to watch:

Marin Cilic is tied with Richard Gasquet at 610 wins. A win over Fery gives Cilic sole possession of 5th most wins in the Big 4/post-Big 4 era (behind Federer, Djokovic, Nadal, and Murray).

Of course, we all know that Djokovic is now one title away from matching Federer. Winning the Shanghai Masters will not only tie Djokovic with Federer, but will also make him the oldest Masters 1000 winner (Federer currently holds the record).
 

MargaretMcAleer

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Rune put up a good fight in his match against Altmaier, considering this is his 3rd match back on tour ( though he did win a couple of DC matches in September,) it was a late match, his level did drop a bit after winning the 1st set 61, Altmaier winning 16 76 (5) 64, Rune was struggling in the 2nd set, pointing to his knee, but continued.
I think Rune should go and play a couple of Challenger events to sharpen up his game, being out for 9 months, I dont know if Rune and his team would play Challegers at this point in time, personally speaking I think it would help him

Fery had a easy win over Cilic 76(2) 61
 
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britbox

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Rune put up a good fight in his match against Altmaier, considering this is his 3rd match back on tour ( though he did win a couple of DC matches in September,) it was a late match, his level did drop a bit after winning the 1st set 61, Altmaier winning 16 76 (5) 64, Rune was struggling in the 2nd set, pointing to his knee, but continued.
I think Rune should go and play a couple of Challenger events to sharpen up his game, being out for 9 months, I dont know if Rune and his team would play Challegers at this point in time, personally speaking I think it would help him

Fery had a easy win over Cilic 76(2) 61

Shanghai Day One Video Highlights

 
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MargaretMcAleer

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Holger Rune continues comeback? OK, but he lost.
He started well, but he did drop his level in the remaining 2 sets, his knee seem to affect him in the 2nd set, I suggest he go and play some challenger tournaments getting more match time for starters
 

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After qualifying Bernard Tomic is set to play his first Masters 1000 main draw since 2019 v Matteo Arnaldi
 
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The court speed in Shanghai is 10 points higher than last year
Highest Masters tournament court speed ( which was taken on Stadium court) this year is 42.2 and this is the highest court speed in Shanghai since 2017.
 
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lomaha

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He started well, but he did drop his level in the remaining 2 sets, his knee seem to affect him in the 2nd set, I suggest he go and play some challenger tournaments getting more match time for starters
It's not the plan. He is doing Basel next. He knows it's a long way back and accepts that he will loose some matches in the beginning. Just like Zverev did after his injury. It's a process and he is willing to let it take its time. According to him self it wasn't the knee that affected the perfomance but some wrong shot decisions in the tie-break and at breakpoint in the 2nd set. As he says - I'm rusty after being out for 11 months.
 

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It's not the plan. He is doing Basel next. He knows it's a long way back and accepts that he will loose some matches in the beginning. Just like Zverev did after his injury. It's a process and he is willing to let it take its time. According to him self it wasn't the knee that affected the perfomance but some wrong shot decisions in the tie-break and at breakpoint in the 2nd set. As he says - I'm rusty after being out for 11 months.
Oh well that is up to him and his team, I just thought playing challenger tournaments would help him getting more match play which he needs, instead of going out in first rounds in higher grade tournaments? of course he is rusty and will take awhile to get back to his former form, he pointed to his left knee in the TB and looked to be in discomfort, he signaled to his box that he wanted to retire? they persuaded him to continue for the final set which he did, even my commentator thought he may retire, try to find a replay or highlights of his match
 
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MargaretMcAleer

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For the life of me AF Atmane should have been Disqualified, against Tomic, he hit his racquet in anger which just missed a fans head in the stands, apart from the racquet smash etc at the net
What the hell was the umpire doing, just giving him a warning
The umpire is there to make players adhere to the rules, not to let a player go 'haywire" the umpire lost control of the match and his actions should be looked into by officials.
 
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lomaha

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Oh well that is up to him and his team, I just thought playing challenger tournaments would help him getting more match play which he needs, instead of going out in first rounds in higher grade tournaments? of course he is rusty and will take awhile to get back to his former form, he pointed to his left knee in the TB and looked to be in discomfort, he signaled to his box that he wanted to retire? they persuaded him to continue for the final set which he did, even my commentator thought he may retire, try to find a replay or highlights of his match
You don't need to. I saw the match and yes he felt a little sting in his knee. It's an ongoing thing he got during his recovery period and the reason why he hasn't started sooner. But he said after the game that that was not the reason for his defeat. And that the briefly discussed with his team if he should retire but they agreed to go on. He has his doctors words that it is OK to play.
 

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You don't need to. I saw the match and yes he felt a little sting in his knee. It's an ongoing thing he got during his recovery period and the reason why he hasn't started sooner. But he said after the game that that was not the reason for his defeat. And that the briefly discussed with his team if he should retire but they agreed to go on. He has his doctors words that it is OK to play.
I understand his knee was injured in his rehab, and a reason that he didnt come back to the tour earlier
Being in the medical profession usual time for achilles is 9 months you cant rush back and also for some athletes it is a season ending injury especially footballers, I think it was more than a Little Sting in his knee, he signaled to his team he wanted to retire? he showed discomfort? Rune needs to be able to win the big points, in matches, that will come with time and also he has to manage his energy in matches, and endurance again that will come with more match time
I still think he should play challengers for awhile, to get more match time on court, which will help him going forward, going out in first round matches dosent help his match play or endurance
 
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MargaretMcAleer

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Top seeds start their first round matches, Friday 9th October,

Zverev (1) Shelton (3) Cobolli (6) Tiafoe (7) de Minaur (9) who I have a question mark over seeing he had to retire in the final at Beijing, ) Djokovic (10)