Shanghai Without Sinner: Zverev Leads the Draw

Alexander Zverev is the top seed at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, running October 7-18 at the Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena. The German inherited the No. 1 seed after the withdrawal of Jannik Sinner, announced on October 3 over the right knee problem that has kept him off the court since the Wimbledon final he won in July against Zverev himself. Sinner had already pulled out of Beijing.

The draw comes at the wrong moment for Zverev. To overtake Sinner atop the ATP rankings on October 19 he would have needed to win both Beijing and Shanghai: the quarterfinal loss in Beijing to Novak Djokovic closed that door before it opened. Sinner stays ahead with 11,000 points to the German's 9,720.

Zverev opens against Chinese wild card Wu Yibing or a qualifier and finds Djokovic in the same half, a possible semifinal opponent. Carlos Alcaraz, the No. 2 seed, starts against Juan Manuel Cerundolo or a qualifier, in the same quarter as Valentin Vacherot, the defending champion and 17th seed.

Five Italians are in the draw. Flavio Cobolli, the sixth seed, is in Zverev's quarter and would meet him in the quarterfinals. Luciano Darderi (18) and Lorenzo Musetti (24) land in Djokovic's section, where Musetti could face him as early as the third round. Matteo Berrettini and Matteo Arnaldi enter without the shelter of a seeding: Berrettini opens against Aleksandar Kovacevic, while Arnaldi awaits a qualifier and has Taylor Fritz in his section.

Shanghai is also the tournament Sinner won in 2024, beating Djokovic in the final 7-6(4), 6-3 and denying him his 100th career title. The Serb, a four-time champion here, remains the man with the most unfinished business in Zverev's half.