Shanghai Masters 2026: Sinner Absent, Zverev Top Seed and Vacherot Returns to Defend a Title He Won as the World No. 204

by Geoffrey Ejiga | by Cydias Aujard

image Shanghai Masters 2026: Sinner Absent, Zverev Top Seed and Vacherot Returns to Defend a Title He Won as the World No. 204
The Rolex Shanghai Masters begins its main draw today with the world No. 1 absent and the defending champion returning to the scene of the most improbable title run in Masters 1000 history. Jannik Sinner has not played since winning Wimbledon in July, as his right knee is still not ready for competition. Alexander Zverev, winner of both Roland Garros and the US Open in 2026, is the top seed and is narrowing the gap at the top of the rankings. But the headline is defending champion Valentin Vacherot, who won last year's title as a qualifier ranked 204th.
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The Defending Champion Won This Title as a Qualifier Ranked 204th

Valentin Vacherot from Monaco won the 2025 Shanghai Masters as the lowest-ranked champion in Masters 1000 history. He entered the draw through qualifying at world No. 204, beat 10th-seeded Holger Rune in the quarter-finals and Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals.

Then Vacherot went on to defeat his own cousin Arthur Rinderknecht 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 in the final.

It was his first tour-level title. Valentin now returns this year as the 21st seed, thanks to the 1,000 points he picked up 12 months ago. His opening match is against Sebastian Baez or Marcos Giron, and you can get the best bets from our Shanghai Masters predictions.

Sinner Missing Again, Zverev Leading the Field

Sinner has not competed since beating Zverev in the Wimbledon final in July. A right knee injury kept him out of the US Open and has now ruled him out of Shanghai. While he remains world No. 1 with 11,500 ranking points, three months without competition have allowed Zverev to close within 1,810 points.

In Sinner’s absence, Zverev won both Roland Garros and the US Open this year, beating Flavio Cobolli in the Paris final and Ben Shelton in New York.

Zverev now leads the tour with 56 match wins in 2026, and the best betting sites do favour him for a final run. His Beijing campaign last week ended in the quarter-finals, where Medvedev beat him 6-3, 6-3. However, Sinner's continued absence means a strong run in Shanghai could still bring the world No. 1 ranking within reach. Outside Sinner, eight players pulled out of the original entry list. Notably, Rinderknech, Raphael Collignon, Roman Andres Burruchaga, Ethan Quinn, Corentin Moutet and Sebastian Korda also withdrew.

Djokovic Arrives With 102 Career Titles and Eyes a Fifth Shanghai Crown

Novak Djokovic celebrating tennis win

Old-man Djokovic won his seventh China Open title last week when Alex de Minaur retired during the second set of the Beijing final. The first set went to a tiebreak that Djokovic won 7-3, and de Minaur pulled out after a groin injury at the start of the second.

The result gave Djokovic his 102nd career title, just one behind Roger Federer's 103. And you can bet Novak is eyeing that record.

The 39-year-old dropped out of the world's top ten after a first-round loss at the US Open in September, falling to world No. 12 for the first time since 2018. He is seeded 12th here and drawn in the same half as Zverev, setting up a potential semi-final between the two. As always, Djokovic can never be underestimated even at this age, especially with four Shanghai Masters (2012, 2013, 2015 and 2018) under his belt.

Action in the Other Half

Carlos Alcaraz is the second seed in the opposite half of the draw alongside fifth seed Medvedev and eighth seed Arthur Fils. The Spaniard returned from a wrist injury at the US Open, where he reached the quarter-finals before losing to Shelton in five sets. But even rusty after a lengthy injury, Alcaraz should still dominate his half. Although Shelton, who knocked him out of the US Open before finishing runner-up, is present and seeded third. Meanwhile, Felix Auger-Aliassime is the fourth seed.