Don’t want to come to the courts on a non-match day? No problem. We’ll bring the courts to you.
That’s the player-friendly mindset that is a hallmark of the Rolex Shanghai Masters.
As a much-lauded addition to the 2026 tournament, two practice courts were built a short walk from The Ritz-Carlton player hotel in the Jing An district, despite a scarcity of available land in the downtown area.
World No. 17 American Learner Tien used the courts on three different days ahead of his first-round match instead of commuting the 30km to Qi Zhong Tennis Center.
“On the days that you’d normally come to site to just practice, it makes everyone’s life a lot easier to have these courts just a three-minute walk across the street from the hotel,” Tien said. “You can get your practice in and then do whatever you want the rest of the day.
“The courts are very private, quiet and relaxed. The only eyes watching the courts are maybe from people in the hotel rooms.”
At the 12-day ATP Masters 1000 tournament, winning players have every second day off. For those who would rather spend a little more time on The Bund or just chill at the player hotel, the new practice courts provide optionality.
“If guys have an off day, they don’t need to come out to the site. It’s literally a three-minute walk from the hotel,” said Managing Director of the Rolex Shanghai Masters Charles Smith.
“They have the same surface, same conditions downtown, which is very unique because downtown real estate is tight. The district government was supportive of us building these courts. So it’s quite an addition.”
With 26 courts at Qi Zhong Tennis Center, players have plenty of practice opportunities on site. But the two downtown practice courts offer convenience and flexibility.
Belgian Zizou Bergs spent a lot of time commuting to and from the site last year en route to the quarter-finals. This year he’s enjoyed the chance to practise so close to the hotel.
“Everything about this tournament is next level,” Bergs said. “We used the courts yesterday on a day off and we were impressed. This was done just for the players, to make life easier for us. It’s nice to look around and see the nice buildings and the scenes from Shanghai. It’s really cool.”
Former World No. 2 Casper Ruud is another player to take advantage. “The courts at the hotel make it much more convenient for us on a day off or on a practice day,” he said. “The tournament is great in so many ways; the only downside really is the one-hour car ride to and from the site. This is a way to avoid that on a practice day.
“The weather has been great this year, so it’s nice to enjoy some time outside. You look around the tennis, the lines, and you see skyscrapers. It’s not usual, so it’s a little fun and comes with different scenery.”
