While star players are amassing some big days at Qi Zhong Tennis Centre, so too are members of the Yonex Stringing Team.
With workdays that can span from 8 am until the early hours of the following morning, the team of nine stringers have been stringing racquets to exacting specifications from players with varying requirements for the past week.
More than 1300 racquets had already been strung by the first Sunday of the tournament - and that number could grow to close to 2000 when the 2024 Rolex Shanghai Masters champion is crowned.
With each racquet requiring approximately 12 metres of string, some 24,000 metres of string will be used by the end of the tournament. To provide astonishing context, that's more than 24 kilometres.
It's perhaps not surprising when you consider the number of actual racquets that can fill a player's kit.
Deng Yi, one of two front desk attendants who coordinates player requests and operations within the Yonex Stringing Team, explains that players typically take five racquets on the court at an ATP Masters 1000 tournament.
At a Grand Slam, where men's matches are a best-of-five-set format, players generally pack seven racquets in their bag.
There are of course always exceptions - in Shanghai this week, Botic van de Zandschulp took 16 racquets onto the court for his first-round match.
In a similar way, there are wide-ranging preferences in players' racquet tensions - some prefer the lighter stringing that will help generate power, while others opt for the heavier tension that boosts control.
Adriano Mannarino and Fabio Fognini's requests sit at opposite ends of the spectrum at Qi Zhong Tennis Centre this year. Mannarino's racquets were strung at a feathery 9.5 kilograms (21lb) in Shanghai, while Fognini requested stringing at 27 kilograms (59 lb).
Tension can also exist in other ways at such a high-stakes event as the Rolex Shanghai Masters. Many restrings are done during matches, creating tight deadlines for the Yonex teams located in one of two locations at Qi Zhong Tennis Centre. One stringing area is inside the main stadium, while fans can also watch the stringers at work in the outdoor showroom.
While the fastest stringing is done in 13 minutes, each racquet takes an average of 15 minutes to complete. "It can be a bit of pressure," an ever-cheerful Yi concedes with a smile.
Fortunately, the stringing team is not only well-equipped but also vastly experienced.
The eight stringing machines (two at the indoor location, six in the showroom) at this year's tournament are operated by stringers who ply their trade at tournaments throughout the world.
Yi, who was part of the team at this year's Australian Open, also worked at the recent Chengdu Open and will travel to a WTA tournament when the Rolex Shanghai Masters concludes.
That's good news for appreciative players who rely on the stringers' skill and precision. While the world's best competitors showcase their talents on the court, the behind-the-scenes professionals are delivering a winning performance too.
