Even with world No 1 Jannik Sinner sidelined by injury, this year's Rolex Shanghai Masters will remain the apex of men's tennis in Asia, with all the other available stars from home and abroad primed to serve up a real treat for fans.
Sinner's last-minute withdrawal, due to a right knee injury, has, for sure, taken some shine off the lineup, but the Shanghai tournament, as Asia's only stop on the top-tier ATP 1000 series, won't be short of star power when main-draw action swings off on Wednesday at the Qizhong Tennis Center in the west Shanghai suburbs.
The rejuvenated 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, who's coming off an impressive run to the final at the China Open in Beijing, will spearhead the star-studded contingent descending on Shanghai, should he make his 12th appearance at the tournament as is widely expected.
The strong field in Shanghai also includes Spain's world No 2 and six-time major winner Carlos Alcaraz, reigning French Open and US Open champion Alexander Zverev of Germany, American US Open finalist Ben Shelton and defending champion Valentin Vacherot of Monaco.
Four Chinese players, Buyunchaokete, Wu Yibing, Zhang Zhizhen and Zhou Yi, have also made it into the main draw through wildcards, and are expected to make the most of the highest-level home tournament to gauge their own progress up against the world's elites.
Former US Open boys' champion Wu, who won China's first men's ATP Tour title in Dallas in February 2023, hailed the instrumental role of elite-level home tournaments in helping to nurture local talent.
"Although we are not as lucky as the European players or the Americans, who have a longer season in their home regions, it's great that we have 500s, 250s, plus a Masters and multiple Challenger (tournaments) for our younger players to be able to get points early in their careers. I think China has a really great future in tennis," Wu said at his pre-tournament news conference on Monday.
Wu's own career highlight — a narrow defeat by Alcaraz in the third round at the 2024 Shanghai Masters — is proof of that impact, as the 26-year-old significantly built his confidence by pushing Alcaraz to the limit in a tough 7-6(5), 6-3 win for the Spaniard.
"I still watch highlights of that match sometimes. I think both of us played great tennis. It was my third match of the tournament. I like the court here, (it's a) fast court. I always enjoy playing Carlos. His style, his shots are some of the best on the tour," said Wu, who just represented Team China at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games and won a silver medal in men's singles.
"Plus, the fans here were supporting me, and it was maybe one of the best matches that I played in my career. Hopefully, I can do well this year, too."
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Wu will have an immediate chance to test himself in another David-vs-Goliath battle if he passes his first-round encounter against a qualifier, with the top-seeded world No 2 Zverev awaiting him in the second round.
The top 32 seeds all receive byes in the first round and will play their first matches beginning in the round of 64 on Friday and Saturday.
The red-hot German ace, who has won two majors in 2026, is in the same quarter as Italy's No 7 Flavio Cobolli and China Open finalist Alex de Minaur of Australia, while Djokovic, should he choose to play, will potentially meet Zverev again in the semifinals in Shanghai after beating him in the quarters in Beijing.
China's current top-ranked ace, Buyunchaokete, will clash with 45th-ranked Frenchman Luca Van Assche in their first career matchup, while Shanghai native Zhang, who held the highest ranking of a Chinese man at No 31 in July 2024, will lock horns with his former doubles partner Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic in an intriguing opener.
Second seed Alcaraz could meet 15th seed Tommy Paul or defending champion Vacherot in the fourth round, and fifth seed Daniil Medvedev or 11th seed Taylor Fritz in the quarterfinals.
Medvedev, a former world No 1 and 2021 US Open champion, will look to redeem himself in front of Chinese fans with some quality tennis in Shanghai after he was disqualified from his semifinal match against Djokovic in Beijing after hitting the ball into the stands in apparent frustration, accidentally hurting a spectator.
The Shanghai Masters, which will conclude on Oct 18, offers a total prize pool of over $9.4 million, with the singles winner awarded $1.15 million and 1,000 ranking points.
Before any of the players even reached the court, the four-day Inaugural Masters Carnival, which ran from Oct 1-4, left the city abuzz, offering fans opportunities to watch top players practice, explore tennis-themed exhibitions at a dedicated tennis museum, and participate in amateur and junior competitions.
Following its successful debut last year, the popular ACE Pet Zone has also returned, once again creating a welcoming, pet-friendly space for fans and their four-legged companions at a special area at the Qizhong Tennis Center.
