ATP Tour

Scouting Report: Zverev & Alcaraz eye Shanghai glory, Djokovic aims for fifth title

The penultimate ATP Masters 1000 event of the season kicks off Wednesday at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, where Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic headline the action.

Former finalist Zverev and Alcaraz are yet to lift the trophy at the Masters 1000 event, while Djokovic aims to clinch a record fifth crown and his first since 2018. Home heroes Zhang Zhizhen and Buyunchaokete spearhead the Chinese challenge.

ATPTour.com looks 10 storylines to follow in Shanghai.

1) Can Zverev continue his stellar season? Zverev arrives in Shanghai as the top seed and with a Tour-leading 58 wins this season, looking to build on a standout year. The German has won two Grand Slam titles in 2026 and is chasing his first Masters 1000 crown since the Rolex Paris Masters in 2024, as well as his first trophy in Shanghai. The 29-year-old German, who reached the final in 2019, will open his title bid against home favourite Wu Yibing or a qualifier.

2) Alcaraz eyes first Shanghai crown: Alcaraz will begin his bid for his first Shanghai trophy after clinching the Tokyo title. The No. 3 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, Alcaraz is continuing to build momentum after missing four-and-a-half months of the season with a right wrist injury before returning at the US Open. The Spaniard will start his Shanghai campaign against Juan Manuel Cerundolo or a qualifier.

3) Djokovic, 4-time champ, arrives in solid form: Four-time champion Djokovic returns to Shanghai looking to add to his record four titles at the tournament. The 39-year-old arrives lifting a record seventh crown in Beijing, and will hope to carry that momentum into a familiar setting.

Djokovic won the Shanghai trophy in 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2018, and has reached the semi-finals or better in 10 of his 11 appearances at the event. The former World No. 1 will play 2023 champion Hubert Hurkacz or James Duckworth in his opening Shanghai match.

4) Defending champion Vacherot: Valentin Vacherot returns one year after his fairytale run at the tournament, where the then-World No. 204 became the lowest-ranked Masters 1000 champion in history (since 1990). The Monegasque came through qualifying to clinch the trophy in one of the biggest breakthroughs in tournament history. Vacherot arrives in Shanghai after reaching the semi-finals at the ATP 500 event in Beijing. The 27-year-old is drawn to face Alcaraz in the third round.

Watch highlights from last year's final:

5) Cobolli, Tiafoe, Fils & co. seek Turin berths: The race for the Nitto ATP Finals will further heat up in Shanghai, with Flavio Cobolli, Frances Tiafoe and Arthur Fils among those looking to strengthen their positions in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin. Roland Garros finalist Cobolli is currently in fifth place (3,540 points). Sixth-placed Tiafoe (3,340 points), seventh-placed Fils (3,285), eighth-placed Daniil Medvedev (3,030), ninth-placed Djokovic (2,840) and 10th-placed De Minaur (2,690) are all firmly in contention.

6) Jodar aims to regain form: Rafael Jodar will look to flip the script in Shanghai following first-round exits at the US Open and in Tokyo. The 20-year-old owns a 40-17 record in 2026, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. The Spanish teenager is currently 11th in the PIF ATP Live Race to Turin as he bids to make his Nitto ATP Finals debut. The 12th seed in Shanghai, Jodar will open against Thiago Agustin Tirante or Hamad Medjedovic on his tournament debut.

7) Zhang, Bu lead Chinese charge: Zhang Zhizhen, Buyunchaokete and Wu are among the Chinese stars in action at their home Masters 1000 event. Wild card Zhang, who reached the fourth round in 2023, will open against last year’s semi-finalist Tomas Machac. Buyunchaokete plays Luca Van Assche in the first round and is drawn to meet Casper Ruud in the second round.

8) Shelton in action for first time since US Open: Shelton is set to compete in his first tournament since reaching the US Open final, in which he fell to Zverev. The American subsequently withdrew from Tokyo but is set to return in Shanghai, where he is the third seed. Shelton’s best result at the Chinese ATP Masters 1000 event came in 2023, when he reached the quarter-finals on tournament debut.

9) Rune continues return to Tour: Following an 11-month injury layoff, former World No. 4 Holger Rune returned to ATP Tour action last week in Tokyo, where he fell in the first round. The 23-year-old will look to build on his return in Shanghai, where he reached the quarter-finals in 2025. Rune will open against Daniel Altmaier and could face third seed Ben Shelton in the second round.

10) Krawietz/Puetz seek title defence: Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz return to the tournament at which they clinched their first Masters 1000 crown together 12 months ago to become just the second all-German team to accomplish the feat. The duo, which is sixth in the PIF ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings, is joined in the Shanghai draw by joint-World No. 1s Harri Heliovaara/Henry Patten and 2023 winners Marcel Granollers/Horacio Zeballos.