三巨头对决与全新场外活动点亮2026上海劳力士大师赛 - 2026年09月21日

Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, and Jannik Sinner are the three men's singles Grand Slam champions this season, and they will join the world's top players in Shanghai for the annual Rolex Shanghai Masters in October.

A new Tennis Masters Carnival and a second live site near Suzhou Creek are expected to enrich the experience for fans.

This year's competition will run from October 5 to 18, with a men's singles draw of 96 players.

Under the Masters regulations and format, the top 78 players in the world rankings (including those using protected rankings) will automatically enter the men's singles main draw. The top 32 seeds will receive first-round byes and advance directly to the second round.

There will be five wild cards, one special exempt place, and 12 players who will come through the Masters qualifying event from October 5 to 6 to reach the main draw.

The first men's singles main-draw wild card has been secured by Chinese player Zhou Yi, who reached the quarterfinals at the Road to the Masters International Tennis Challenger in early September and, for the second consecutive year, was the best-performing mainland Chinese player at the Shanghai event, earning him a place in the Masters main draw.

Sinner, Zverev and Alcaraz have emerged as the "new Big Three" in the tennis world.

Sinner, currently ranked world No. 1, became the youngest player to complete the Career Golden Masters this year, winning all nine ATP Masters 1000 titles at the age of 24.

Novak Djokovic had achieved the feat in 2018 at the age of 31.

Sinner won his fifth Grand Slam men's singles title at Wimbledon, and as the 2024 Rolex Shanghai Masters champion, the Italian will surely aim for his second Shanghai trophy.

World No. 2 Zverev won two Grand Slam singles titles this year at the French Open and US Open, along with a Wimbledon runner-up finish.

The Rolex Shanghai Masters will be the main battleground for the German against Sinner in their fight for the year-end No. 1 ranking.

Spaniard Alcaraz, who has many supporters in Shanghai, will also return to the city after a five-month break, bringing abundant energy and the hot form he has shown since returning at the US Open.

Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev from Russia, Stefanos Tsitsipas from Greece, Ben Shelton from the US, and Hubert Hurkacz from Poland are also in the main draw.

Defending champion Valentin Vacherot became the first local player to reach the singles semifinals at the Monte-Carlo Masters this year. The Monaco player will fight to defend his title here.

Other young talents to watch include Jakub Mensik from the Czech Republic and Arthur Fils from France. Young talent like Rafael Jodar, João Fonseca, Alexander Blockx, and Arthur Fery will debut at the Shanghai event.

This year's qualifying draw brings together a group of veterans who combine strength and experience, including Australian Alexei Popyrin and Nikoloz Basilashvili from Georgia.

Coleman Wong from China's Hong Kong has reached new career heights this season, breaking into the world's top 100 for the first time. This year will be Wong's third straight appearance at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, and fans are hoping he can secure his first win in Shanghai.

Grand Slam quarterfinalists such as Lorenzo Sonego (Italy), Roman Safiullin (Russia) and Lloyd Harris (South Africa) are also in the qualifying draw. From October 5 to 6, they will compete in two rounds for 12 main-draw places.

Among Chinese mainland players, the highest-ranked is Wu Yibing, who rose to No. 100 after a solid performance at the US Open. Other Masters regulars, including Bu Yunchaokete, Zhang Zhizhen and Shang Juncheng, have not yet met the direct-entry criteria with their current rankings and will likely need wild cards to compete in this year's Masters.

Before the official kick-off of this year's tournament, a new Tennis Masters Carnival will be held from October 1 to 4, offering tennis fans the opportunity to buy exclusive souvenirs at Qizhong Tennis Center, watch player practice sessions, and explore a tennis-themed exhibition.

Guests purchasing a 60-yuan (US$8.9) Carnival ticket can redeem it for on-site food and beverage services or merchandise.

The organizing committee is leveraging transport resources this year by offering custom shuttle bus services from the city center to Qizhong for spectators who purchase dual-ticket packages, thus addressing transportation challenges.

Tourism resources along Suzhou Creek will be activated during the Masters. The draw ceremony on October 5 will take place at Suhe Bay, located on the creek's waterfront, which will be transformed into a "live site" where fans can watch matches and buy official souvenirs during the tournament.

The pet-friendly area, "ACE Wonderland," which was launched last year, will once again be available to tennis fans bringing their furry companions to Qizhong.

Located on the lawn on the north side of Court 2, the space provides services to pet owners who hold same-day tickets for the Rolex Shanghai Masters or the Tennis Masters Carnival.

Pet dogs that are non-aggressive, aged 9 months to 10 years, and have a vaccination certificate can be boarded during the tournament. ACE Wonderland will host the 2026 Monaco All-Star Dog Show from October 4 to 6.

Other highlights of this year's tournament include a celebrity doubles exhibition match featuring Roger Federer, China's first female tennis Grand Slam singles champion Li Na, and the brother-and-sister pair Marat Safin and Dinara Safina.

Disney cartoon characters' appearances at Qizhong are also worth looking forward to.

Source: City News Service