China Open Draw (2026)

The China Open draw sets the path and dictates the matchups for one of the strongest WTA and solid ATP fields of the Asian swing. Officially the China Open, the Beijing-bound event mixes a WTA 1000 women’s singles and ATP 500 men’s tournaments at the National Tennis Centre. The 2026 edition will commence on 30 September, with the men’s final set for 6 October, while the women’s final will culminate the fortnight on 11 October.

This page tracks the draw and highlights: how it works, how the women’s and men’s fields differ, and introduces key contenders from both draws. This page will get updates as the draw lands and if late withdrawals change the picture, too. Familiarising yourself with it can help if you’re interested in the China Open betting page, available on 7bet for UK players aged 18+. 

China Open Draw: Main Information

The WTA and ATP draws are very different in size. This difference shapes byes, how quickly the favourites can come together, and overall tournament length. The 2026 WTA China Open draw ceremony is scheduled for Sunday 27 September in Beijing. 

The men’s draw (ATP) should be hosted at a similar time, but at the time of writing, the information isn’t available. Still, expect it before qualifying finishes on 29 September. The table below shows key dates for the 2026 China Open, including the draws.

Men’s Draw (ATP): 32 Players, No Byes

The ATP 500 men’s singles draw for the China Open uses a straight 32-player draw with 8 seeds. Every player starts in the first round, so there are no byes, and everyone plays the same five rounds to reach the final. While this removes the freshness edge that favourites tend to ride on in bigger events, the top two seeds can only meet in the Final.

Women’s Draw: 96 Players, 32 Byes

The WTA 1000 draw is three times the size, with 96 players, compared to 32 for men. The Top 32 WTA seeds in the China Open 2026 draw will receive a bye straight into the 2nd round. The remaining 64, which includes qualifiers and wild cards, will square off in the first round for the right to face a seeded player. The women’s champion in the China Open therefore plays at least six matches, with up to seven if they’re unseeded, compared to the men’s five.

How is the China Open Draw Conducted?

Both draws follow the same core principles, implemented throughout all major ATP and WTA tournaments:

• Top 1 and 2 seeds can only meet in the final
• Top 4 can only clash in the semi-finals
• Top 8 only face each other from the quarter-finals onwards

Everyone else is drawn into the field randomly. Qualifier spots are designated “Q” in the bracket, so you can know where they’re projected to land.

Seeded Players for the 2026 China Open

Seeds are determined by ATP and WTA rankings at the time of the draw. While protected rankings and late withdrawals can still shift the list, the tables below will reveal preliminary projections based on the current confirmed entries.

Projected ATP Seeds (Men)

Alexander Zverev will lead the draw on the men’s side, as Jannik Sinner announced his withdrawal just days before the competition. The Italian was the defending champion in Beijing, but his and Carlos Alcaraz’s 2026 campaigns have been injury-ridden.

Zverev, the World No. 2, is having a career year, having won two slams, and has a clear path to yet another serious victory. Novak Djokovic is another big story: the Serbian returns to Beijing for the first time since 2015 with six titles and an unbeaten 29-0 record at the event, yet our preliminary ranking only puts the Serbian legend at 6th. 

Projected WTA Seeds (Women’s – Top 8)

Elena Rybakina comes into the tournament in scorching hot form, recently becoming the World’s No. 1 and winning the US Open. She’s ahead of Aryna Sabalenka, who’ll be eager to avenge her US Open loss and reclaim ground after a shaky 2026. Iga Świątek, Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff and Mirra Andreeva round out the list of top contenders, with last year’s champ Amanda Anisimova not among the projected top eight.

Qualifiers, Wild Cards & Lucky Losers

Not every line in the China Open draw and bracket is filled by ranking. Four extra routes can bring players into the main draw, and each one works a little differently. Here’s a short overview for each one of them.

Wild Cards

They are handed out at the organisers’ discretion and usually remain reserved for home players, returning names, or recognisable athletes whose ranking might not reflect their real level. The WTA event has awarded eight, all to Chinese players. From the lot, former World No. 4 Cheng Qinwen is the headline name, joined by Gao Xinyu, Lin Yujun, Qu Yihan and others, whom the hometown crowds will be eager to see. 

On the men’s side, there are three Chinese athletes: Bu Yunchaokete, Shang Juncheng and Zhang Zhizhen, as well as the American Learner Tien, who was the finalist in 2025. 

Qualifiers

Qualifying runs on 28–29 September for both tours, but the number of spots to fill is different because of the draw sizes. The WTA (women’s) side has 12 open spots to fill, and 4 are reserved for the ATP (men’s) tournament.

If you were to look at the 2026 China Open draw, you can see “Q” positions, showing exactly where they will land. Beijing qualifying has a record of producing deep runs, with Learner Tien reaching the men’s final in 2025.

Protected Rankings

Players who are returning from long injury absences can get a protected ranking to enter the tournament in Beijing. Two women have been assigned protected rankings for 2026. They enter the draw as a direct entrant but won’t be seeded unless their live ranking earns a sufficient position.

Lucky Losers

If a qualified player withdraws after the draw is made, their spot will be given to a lucky loser (the highest-ranked player who lost in the final round of qualifying). They will take the withdrawn player’s exact spot in the draw. With 9 withdrawals on the women’s side alone, and Jannik Sinner on the ATP front, late changes have had a seismic impact on the 2026 edition.

Potential Matchups to Watch

The brackets aren’t fully released at the time of writing. Plus, discussing anything beyond the first round before the China Open serves off is always a lottery guess. Still, once the full draw is confirmed, here are a few things that may attract the interest of those who are tracking our tennis betting hub. 

ATP – Men’s Side: Zverev and Djokovic in the Same Half?

• No Sinner & Alcaraz – the leading duo of the past couple of years are both absent from the 2026 China Open, meaning the field is as open as others could ever hope for.
• Djokovic’s Placement – as the potential 6th or 7th seed, he could land in the top seeds quarter. A Zverev-Djokovic quarter-final would require popcorn, but would also mean a premature end to one of the duo’s campaigns.
• Zverev’s Form – the German has 3 Beijing semis under his belt and two Grand Slam victories in 2026. It’s obvious he’s the man to beat, especially with Sinner and Alcaraz nowhere in sight.
• Unseeded Threats – Bublik, Rublev, Khachanov and Hurkacz could be drawn against seeds early. Cameron Norrie, the only Briton, is worth mentioning, too. They are capable players who could deliver upsets early. 

WTA – Women’s Side: The Top 2 and a Deep Pool of Contenders

• Rybakina vs Sabalenka – the top 2 can only meet in the final, and it would be a fitting finale for a rematch of the 2026 US Open, which went the way of Rybakina, the current No. 1 in the World.
• Second–round Tests – since all seeds have a first-round bye, they will face opponents that will have at least one match under their belt. If a seeded WTA player is rusty, that could cost dearly.
• Home Interest – Zheng Qinwen on a wild card is unseeded, so she could meet a top seed early and play on the Diamond Court, to the delight of local supporters.

Katie Boulter, the only British WTA player on the entry list, is unseeded, so check her placement once the draw lands and the China Open odds are revealed. 

Tournament Information

The China Open has been a part of the tour calendar (with breaks) since 1993. It’s one of the most prestigious events on the WTA side outside the Slams. Here are the key details for 2026:

• Venue: National Tennis Center, Beijing
• Surface: Outdoor hard court
• Category: ATP 500 & WTA 1000
• Dates: 30 September – 6 October (ATP – men), 30 September – 11 October (WTA – women)
• Prize money: $1,151,380 (women’s winner), TBC for the men

Follow the China Open at 7bet

After the brackets are confirmed, head to our China Open schedule and order of play page to see daily lineups. Odds on every round will be available in the tennis betting hub, with IN-PLAY markets opening as soon as a match starts.

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