The Shanghai Masters is the final stop in the ATP Masters 1000 calendar before Europe’s indoor season starts and the biggest event of the Asian hard-court swing. Staged at the Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena in one of China’s busiest metropolises, the 2026 Masters edition is set to run from 7 to 18 October, with the singles final culminating festivities on Sunday, 18th. The event is officially known as the Rolex Shanghai Masters and awards 1,000 ranking points to the champion, plus $1,151,380. Jannik Sinner has announced his withdrawal, leaving the top much more open. The title in 2025 was won by Valentin Vacherot, who is set to return as defending champion.
This page will set out the Shanghai Masters schedule, explain how the daily Shanghai Masters order of play works, as well as give you pointers on which players to follow and UK viewing options. As always, you can follow the build-up and find betting markets for this year’s Shanghai Open on the 7bet tennis betting hub while the tournament is under way.
2026 Shanghai Masters Tournament Schedule
The Shanghai Masters tournament has a 96-player singles draw that is the standard for two-week Masters 1000 events. The top 32 seeds will receive a first-week bye, so they only begin in the 2nd round, while the rest of the field battle it out from day one. As always, qualifying is set for the start of the week (5-6 October), with the main draw completed on Monday 5 October.
The table below shows the expected tournament shape in Shanghai. The Shanghai Masters dates for the opening and closing days are set, while splits for round-by-round are preliminary and can move by a day, depending on the weather and how the order of play unfolds.
| Stage | Expected dates (2026) |
| Qualifying | 5–6 October |
| First round (round of 96, 32 bye slots) | 7–9 October |
| Second round (round of 64) | 9–11 October |
| Third round (round of 32) | 11–12 October |
| Round of 16 | 13–14 October |
| Quarter-finals | 15–16 October |
| Semi-finals | Saturday 17 October |
| Final | Sunday 18 October |
Round dates are only preliminary and will be fully confirmed by the organisers once the draw and qualifying is completed. Still, the start, semi-final, and final dates of 17 and 18 October, respectively, are fixed.
Since the draw is published, you can check prices for each round on the Shanghai Masters betting page, and follow matches as they happen in the in-play section.
Daily Play Schedule
Play at the Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena spreads out across several courts. The Stadium Court is the headline arena that should feature marquee matchups and finals. The tournament usually begins in late morning hours or early afternoon Shanghai time, which is nighttime in the UK. Featured matches run later in the evening, which is morning-to-afternoon GMT. A typical matchday looks like this:
- Opening matches serve off late morning, which is night or early morning in the UK.
- Afternoon sessions continue on the main and outside courts, with several simultaneous matches on each.
- Evening matches are the picks of the day, featuring top players and local heroes.
It’s worth noting that doubles play alongside singles, while the doubles finals are scheduled on closing Sunday as well.
Shanghai Masters Scheduling for UK Fans
In terms of timing, Shanghai is 7 hours ahead of the UK during the tournament. This means that:
- 11 AM start in China means 4 AM in the UK
- 6:30 PM start in China translates to 11:30 AM GMT
It’s worth checking the official schedule and daily order of play before planning your viewing or audio experience, as exact session times and the aforementioned 2026 Shanghai Rolex Masters daily order of play are announced on the evening before.
Volume of Matches
With the qualifying and the first rounds, the daily volume of tennis is high. Many matches will run at the same time, so you’ll need to pick a matchup and stick to it for live entertainment, or switch back and forth between broadcasts. Once the tournament progresses into quarter-finals, the programmes become more compact, with a handful of matches per day.
Shanghai Masters Order of Play
The Shanghai Masters order of play is the detailed list of who plays where and in what sequence. It’s published in the evening and defines the order for the following day. Keep in mind that the schedule in the table above shows only the rounds. The order of play is for the specifics on every matchday, since the organisers need to wait to know who progresses and who is eliminated.
Daily order of play for the Shanghai Masters typically lists:
- Court Assignments – which court each match will be played on, starting with Stadium, down to smaller outside venues.
- Match order – the sequence on each court, with only the first pair given a fixed start time.
- Start times – or rather references for later matches, as the latter are only given “not before” or simply “followed by”. Their real start times depend on how long previous combats last.
Don’t forget that the order of play can change on short notice. Long matches can push back the entire day, rain can interrupt play on outdoor courts, and withdrawals or walkovers constantly reshuffle things during tournaments. What’s more, the Shanghai Masters order of play is more prone to shifts early on, when a player who withdraws can be replaced by a lucky loser.
If you want to find the daily order of play, the most reliable sources are the official tournament website and the ATP Tour app, both of which update everything in real time.
Players to Watch at the Shanghai Masters
Main Candidates: Alcaraz and Zverev
With Jannik Sinner out for the remainder of 2026, and Carlos Alcaraz returning to form by becoming the first man to go back-to-back in ATP 500 Tokyo since Sampras in 1993-94, the field looks very balanced. The Spaniard and Alexander Zverev, who won two Grand Slams this year, are expected to be the main challengers by experts and many punters.
Strongest Contenders
Novak Djokovic is another player the crowd in Shanghai is eager to see, as the Serbian legend recently won the China Open and still wants to prove he has plenty left in the tank. Amongst other contenders are:
- Ben Shelton – reached the US Open final, a significant threat on a fast, hard court
- Félix Auger-Aliassime – world No. 6
- Daniil Medvedev – had a good China Open showing until he hit a fan with the ball during the Semi-Finals against Djokovic and was disqualified.
Dark Horses
Defending champion Valentin Vacherot, who won the 2025 title as a qualifier and beat his cousin Arthur Rinderknech, shouldn’t be counted out, too.
Since the Monegasque’s run last year was a bit of a surprise, it wouldn’t be a shock if one of the dark horses could rise to the top again. As always, do your research before betting.
Home Crowd Favourites
When it comes to local players, Wu Yibing and Zhang Zhizhen will be the best-known Chinese names on tour. Watch out for the home crowd cheering them on in early rounds, which could boost their chances.
British Players to Watch
The only two British players in the draw are Cameron Norrie and Arthur Fery.
Norrie is the more experienced of the duo and a regular in later rounds at hard-court Masters. Fery will be looking to make an impression at this level. If you want to watch both of their matches live, it’s likely that their matches will often fall in the early morning, so check the 2026 Shanghai Masters order of play before each day.
Shanghai Masters Tournament Information
Here is a table with the most important details for the 2026 Rolex Shanghai Masters at a glance:
| Detail | Information |
| Dates | 7–18 October 2026 (qualifying from 5 October) |
| Venue | Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena, Shanghai, China |
| Surface | Outdoor hard court |
| Category | ATP Masters 1000 |
| Singles draw | 96 players, with 32 seeds receiving a first-round bye |
| Defending champion | Valentin Vacherot |
| Champion’s prize | $1,151,380 and 1,000 ATP points |
| Runner-up | Around $612,000 and 650 ATP points |
| First-round loser | Around $23,760 and 10 ATP points |
This is the last Masters 1000 of the Asian swing, so the ranking points on offer are extremely valuable. Players will want to collect them and climb the rankings before season-ending finals in Turin.
Where to Watch the Shanghai Masters in the UK
If you’re in the UK, you can follow the tournament’s broadcasts in several official ways.
Sky Sports Tennis is the home of ATP coverage in the UK and Ireland. It’s available to Sky subscribers.
NOW also carries Sky Sports via streaming, for those who do not have a Sky subscription.
Tennis TV is ATP Tour’s official streaming service, offering extensive match coverage and highlights. You can also track live scores in our IN-PLAY section, on the ATP Tour website and app, as well as Flashscore.
For fans in the UK, catching up on highlights is a popular option since most matches are played overnight or in the early morning hours. As always, confirm arrangements and schedules closer to the tournament.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the Shanghai Masters Start?
The 2026 Shanghai Masters schedule lists Wednesday 7 October as the official start date for the 1st round. Qualifying begins on 5 October.
Where is the Shanghai Masters Played?
The venue is Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena in Shanghai. Stadium Court is the main one, hosting the biggest matchups.
When will the Shanghai Masters Draw be Announced?
It has been announced on 5 October, but all participants will be known only after qualifying concludes.
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