Rolex Shanghai Masters 2026 Schedule of Play: Daily Matches, Dates and Order of Play
LINK: Schedule of Play
The 2026 Rolex Shanghai Masters will bring the biggest names on the ATP Tour to China from October 5–18 for nearly two weeks of outdoor hard-court tennis.
Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev and four-time champion Novak Djokovic lead an outstanding field at the Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena. Félix Auger-Aliassime, Daniil Medvedev, Taylor Fritz, Alex de Minaur, Andrey Rublev and Chinese star Zhizhen Zhang are also among the players expected to compete.
This page will provide the updated Rolex Shanghai Masters schedule of play throughout the tournament, including daily matchups, courts, start times and results.
Please bookmark this page and check back daily for the latest Shanghai Masters order of play.
Rolex Shanghai Masters 2026 Tournament Information
- Tournament: Rolex Shanghai Masters
- Category: ATP Masters 1000
- Location: Shanghai, China
- Venue: Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena
- Surface: Outdoor hard court
- Qualifying dates: October 5–6, 2026
- Main-draw dates: October 7–18, 2026
- Singles draw: 96 players
- Doubles draw: 32 teams
- Defending singles champion: Valentin Vacherot
- Champion’s ranking points: 1,000
- Prize money: $9,415,725
The ATP lists the main tournament dates as October 7–18, while the official Rolex Shanghai Masters website identifies October 5–18 as the complete event window, including qualifying.
Rolex Shanghai Masters 2026 Daily Schedule
The official matchups, court assignments and start times will be added once each day’s order of play is released.
The following tournament calendar is based on the traditional structure of Shanghai’s expanded 96-player draw. Individual rounds and match assignments remain subject to confirmation by the tournament.
Monday, October 5: First Round of Qualifying
The 2026 Rolex Shanghai Masters begins with the opening round of qualifying.
Players outside the direct-entry positions will compete for an opportunity to join the 96-player singles main draw. Qualifying is often one of the most unpredictable parts of the tournament, with emerging players, experienced veterans and local wild cards all attempting to secure their places.
Schedule: To be confirmed
Featured matches: To be announced
Tuesday, October 6: Final Round of Qualifying
The qualifying competition concludes on Tuesday as the remaining main-draw positions are decided.
Players who advance will have little recovery time before entering the main tournament. That quick transition can be physically difficult, but qualifiers also arrive with competitive matches and confidence already behind them.
Schedule: To be confirmed
Featured matches: To be announced
Wednesday, October 7: Main Draw, Day One
The main draw begins with first-round singles matches across the Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena.
Most of the highest seeds are expected to receive opening-round byes because Shanghai uses a 96-player format. Wednesday’s schedule should therefore feature unseeded players and lower seeds attempting to earn second-round meetings with the tournament’s leading names.
Schedule: To be confirmed
Featured matches: To be announced
Thursday, October 8: First and Second-Round Action
The first round is expected to conclude as second-round competition begins.
This is when the tournament’s seeded players will start appearing on the schedule. The transition from the opening round to the second round often produces major matchups, particularly when an established opponent has landed close to a top seed in the draw.
Schedule: To be confirmed
Featured matches: To be announced
Friday, October 9: Second Round
Second-round play continues on Friday, with more of the leading contenders beginning their Shanghai campaigns.
Attention will be focused on the first appearances of players such as Alcaraz, Zverev and Djokovic. Early matches can be difficult for the favourites as they adjust to the surface, weather and ball speed after competing elsewhere on the Asian swing.
Schedule: To be confirmed
Featured matches: To be announced
Saturday, October 10: Second Round
Saturday should feature another full schedule of second-round singles and doubles competition.
With weekend crowds arriving at the venue, the tournament will likely place several prominent names inside the main stadium. Players hoping to challenge for the title will want to advance efficiently and avoid spending unnecessary hours on court during the opening weekend.
Schedule: To be confirmed
Featured matches: To be announced
Sunday, October 11: Third Round
The tournament moves into the third round on Sunday.
By this stage, the draw should begin producing matches between seeded opponents. The physical demands will also increase as players face stronger returners, more reliable servers and competitors capable of exposing even brief drops in intensity.
Schedule: To be confirmed
Featured matches: To be announced
Monday, October 12: Third Round
Third-round action is expected to conclude on Monday, completing the field for the round of 16.
Shanghai’s humid outdoor conditions can become increasingly important at this stage. Players who needed long matches in the opening rounds may begin to feel the cumulative effects of the tournament, while those who advanced efficiently could hold a valuable physical advantage.
Schedule: To be confirmed
Featured matches: To be announced
Tuesday, October 13: Round of 16
The first half of the fourth round is expected to take place on Tuesday.
Every remaining player will be within three victories of the championship match. Return quality, first-serve percentage and performance on break points will become increasingly decisive as the margins between opponents narrow.
Schedule: To be confirmed
Featured matches: To be announced
Wednesday, October 14: Round of 16
The remaining round-of-16 matches are expected to be completed on Wednesday.
Potential meetings between leading seeds could offer an early indication of which players are best positioned to win the title. The eight quarterfinalists will be confirmed by the conclusion of play.
Schedule: To be confirmed
Featured matches: To be announced
Thursday, October 15: Singles Quarterfinals
The opening singles quarterfinals are expected to be played on Thursday, alongside doubles competition.
The quarterfinal stage is especially important in the race to the ATP Finals. A victory awards valuable ranking points and places a player within two matches of capturing one of the season’s final Masters 1000 titles.
Schedule: To be confirmed
Featured matches: To be announced
Friday, October 16: Singles Quarterfinals
The remaining singles quarterfinals should be contested on Friday.
Recovery may become a factor, particularly for players who survived physically demanding matches earlier in the tournament. Shanghai rewards aggressive tennis, but the semifinalists will also need the patience and discipline to manage longer baseline exchanges.
Schedule: To be confirmed
Featured matches: To be announced
Saturday, October 17: Singles Semifinals
The four remaining singles players will compete for two places in the 2026 Rolex Shanghai Masters final.
With 1,000 ranking points and one of the ATP Tour’s most prestigious hard-court titles within reach, the semifinals should produce the most consequential day of the tournament to this point.
Schedule: To be confirmed
Featured matches: To be announced
Sunday, October 18: Championship Sunday
The 2026 Rolex Shanghai Masters concludes with the championship matches at the Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena.
The doubles final and singles final are expected to headline Sunday’s schedule. The singles champion will collect 1,000 ATP ranking points and succeed Valentin Vacherot, whose extraordinary qualifying run to the 2025 title became one of the biggest surprises in Masters 1000 history.
Final schedule: To be confirmed
Singles final: To be announced
Doubles final: To be announced
Today’s Shanghai Masters Order of Play
Date: To be updated during the tournament
All times: Local time in Shanghai
| Time | Court | Match | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
| To be confirmed | Stadium Court | To be announced | To be confirmed |
| To be confirmed | Stadium Court | To be announced | To be confirmed |
| To be confirmed | Grandstand | To be announced | To be confirmed |
| To be confirmed | Grandstand | To be announced | To be confirmed |
The daily order of play is normally published after the previous day’s matches have progressed far enough for the next schedule to be finalized. Weather, match duration and player recovery can lead to changes.
For official updates, visit the tournament’s schedule and scores section.
Shanghai Masters Time Difference
Shanghai operates on China Standard Time, which is UTC+8.
During the 2026 tournament, Shanghai will be:
- 12 hours ahead of Toronto and New York
- 17 hours ahead of Los Angeles and Vancouver
- Seven hours ahead of London
- Six hours ahead of Central Europe
For viewers in Canada and the United States, many daytime matches in Shanghai will begin late at night or during the early morning.
For example:
- 11 a.m. in Shanghai: 11 p.m. the previous day in Toronto and New York
- 2 p.m. in Shanghai: 2 a.m. in Toronto and New York
- 6:30 p.m. in Shanghai: 6:30 a.m. in Toronto and New York
International viewers should confirm their local listings because television and streaming schedules may use a different time zone.
Players to Watch in the 2026 Shanghai Schedule
Carlos Alcaraz
Alcaraz will attempt to capture his first Shanghai Masters title. His matches are likely to be among the tournament’s most prominent stadium assignments because of his athleticism, variety and international popularity.
Alexander Zverev
Zverev’s serve and two-handed backhand make him a dangerous contender in Shanghai. His ability to protect his service games could help him conserve energy across the extended tournament.
Novak Djokovic
Djokovic has won a record four Shanghai titles. His return game, defensive balance and history at the venue ensure that every one of his matches will attract significant attention.
Daniil Medvedev
The 2019 champion remains one of the strongest outdoor hard-court players in the field. His unconventional return position and flat groundstrokes can be particularly effective against aggressive opponents.
Valentin Vacherot
Vacherot returns as the defending champion after producing a historic run in 2025. The Monegasque entered qualifying ranked No. 204 before defeating Djokovic and eventually overcoming his cousin Arthur Rinderknech in the final.
How the Shanghai Masters Draw Works
The Shanghai singles draw contains 96 players. The 32 seeded players traditionally receive first-round byes and begin their tournaments in the second round.
That format creates several strategic considerations:
- Unseeded players must win seven matches to capture the title.
- Seeded players generally need six victories to become champion.
- Qualifiers must first advance through qualifying before entering the main draw.
- The expanded tournament is played across nearly two weeks.
- Singles and doubles matches are scheduled on multiple courts.
The larger field gives more players access to a Masters 1000 event, but it also creates a physically demanding route to the championship.
When Is the Shanghai Masters Draw Released?
The 2026 Shanghai Masters singles draw has not yet been released. It is expected to become available shortly before the start of the main draw.
Once published, the draw will establish each player’s potential route through the tournament and identify the projected quarterfinal matchups. The qualifying draw will be released separately.
Shanghai Masters Schedule of Play FAQ
When does the 2026 Shanghai Masters begin?
Qualifying is scheduled to begin on October 5. The ATP main draw runs from October 7–18, 2026.
When is the Shanghai Masters final?
The singles final is scheduled for Sunday, October 18, 2026.
Where can I find today’s Shanghai Masters schedule?
The official daily order of play will be available through the ATP Tour and Rolex Shanghai Masters websites. This page will also be updated with the day’s matchups, start times and court assignments.
What time do matches begin in Shanghai?
Daily start times have not yet been confirmed. The opening matches have traditionally been scheduled during the late morning or early afternoon, with selected stadium matches continuing into the evening.
Are Shanghai Masters times listed in local time?
Yes. Official orders of play normally list match times in China Standard Time. Shanghai is 12 hours ahead of Toronto and New York during the tournament.
When will Alcaraz, Zverev and Djokovic play?
Their first matches will be determined by the singles draw and daily order of play. As leading seeds, they are expected to receive first-round byes and begin in the second round.
Is the order of play subject to change?
Yes. Weather, lengthy matches, withdrawals and scheduling requirements can all affect the published order of play.
Follow the 2026 Rolex Shanghai Masters
This daily schedule page will be updated throughout the tournament with the latest matches, court assignments, start times and results.
With Alcaraz, Zverev and Djokovic leading a world-class field—and crucial points available in the race to the ATP Finals—the 2026 Rolex Shanghai Masters is positioned to become one of the defining events of the season’s final stretch.
