The 2025 Asian swing reaches its climax in China, where the ATP Tour’s finest are preparing to compete at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.
Defending champion Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev headline the field at the Qi Zhong Tennis Center, while record four-time titlist Novak Djokovic will make his first appearance since the US Open.
ATPTour.com looks ahead at 10 things to watch from the Chinese ATP Masters 1000 event.
Editor's Note: This story has been updated to reflect Carlos Alcaraz's withdrawal from Shanghai due to a left ankle injury.
1) Sinner Defends Crown: Sinner has kick-started his Asian swing in style at ATP 500 level in Beijing, where he takes on #NextGenATP Learner Tien in the final on Wednesday. A year ago, the Italian marched past Djokovic in the championship match to claim his maiden Shanghai crown, although a repeat final is not possible this time around because they are in the same half of the draw.
Watch Highlights Of Sinner's 2024 Shanghai Final Triumph:
2) Zverev Seeks M1000 Triumph: Zverev is chasing his first Masters 1000 success of the season. The German is a seven-time champion at this level and a former finalist in Shanghai, where he defeated Roger Federer en route to the 2019 championship match (l. to Medvedev). Third in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, Zverev could take a big step towards Nitto ATP Finals qualification with a deep run in China.
3) Djokovic Back In Action: Djokovic will take on Marin Cilic or Corentin Moutet first up in Shanghai, where he is competing for the first time since his semi-final US Open defeat to Carlos Alcaraz on 5 September. The Serbian holds the record for most titles (four) and most match wins (39) in Shanghai tournament history, and the Serbian will hope his experience at the Qi Zhong Tennis Center can help him lift a record 41st Masters 1000 title, and his first since November 2023.
4) Fritz Eyes Biggest Title Since 2022: Taylor Fritz became a Masters 1000 champion in Indian Wells in 2022, and the American remains one of the most consistent hard-court performers on Tour. He reached the semi-finals in Shanghai for the first time in 2024, when he fell to Djokovic, and he will be seeking another deep run to boost his Nitto ATP Finals qualification chances. Fritz is currently fifth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin.
5) Shelton Returns: Ben Shelton endured a tough end to his US Open campaign when he was forced to retire from his third-round match against Adrian Mannarino due to a shoulder injury. After a month of recovery, the World No. 6 is ready to go again in Shanghai, where he has a 5-2 record. The American lefty is sixth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, just 85 points behind Fritz, as he chases a Nitto ATP Finals debut.
6) Chasing Pack Eyes Turin: With plenty of points on offer, Shanghai could be a crucial juncture for several contenders aiming to ramp up their charge towards the Nitto ATP Finals. Alex de Minaur (seventh) and Lorenzo Musetti (eighth), who are both reached the Beijing semi-finals, currently occupy the final two qualification spots. Former Turin participants Felix Auger-Aliassime (10th), Casper Ruud (11th) and Andrey Rublev (12th) are best placed to haul them in.
7) Chinese Stars: Four of the five home favourites competing in the singles are in the top half of the draw. Among them, Wu Yibing will play a qualifier, with the winner to face Medvedev in the second round, while Shang Juncheng meets Aleksandar Kovacevic for the right to take on Karen Khachanov.
In the bottom half, Zhang Zhizhen opens against Sebastian Baez. Zhang is the only Chinese player to have reached the last 16 in Shanghai tournament history (he did so in 2023).
8) Mensik, Tien Compete: Jakub Mensik and Tien lead the #NextGenATP charge in Shanghai. Mensik, who currently leads the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah, defeated Andrey Rublev and Grigor Dimitrov en route to the quarter-finals on event debut a year ago. Third-placed Tien, a finalist at the 2024 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, is set to take on Sinner in his first tour-level championship match on Wednesday in Beijing.
9) Wild Card Wawrinka: Former World No. 3 and three-time major champion Stan Wawrinka makes his second appearance at Masters 1000 level in 2025, and his first on hard courts, as a wild card. The 40-year-old Swiss plays Fabian Marozsan first, with the winner advancing to a showdown with fifth seed Fritz.
10) Cash/Glasspool Headline Doubles Field: Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool lifted their maiden Masters 1000 title as a team in Toronto in August, and the British duo will aim to back that up as the top seeds in Shanghai. Their rivals in China will include another team that has already qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals: Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic.
