A NINE million dollar showcase in Shanghai will see a star-studded lineup of the world’s best players take to the Chinese hardcourts, with 35 of the top 40 players taking part in the event. The 96-player ATP Masters 1000 event will bring plenty of entertaining contests, as the 32 seeds all have a bye in the first round, while the remaining 64 face-off over the first two days starting Thursday.

Reigning champion Hubert Hurkacz is a shock withdrawal from the event, opting to go home and “recharge” after a tough few months. It means he will drop 1000 ranking points from his 2023 victory, and drop outside the Top 10. Alongside the world number eight, injured Top 20 players Alex de Minaur and Sebastian Korda will miss the event, as well as in-form 30th ranked Portuguese player Nuno Borges.

TITLE CONTENDERS

The two red-hot players as it stands are world number one and two Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. The pair made the Beijing final and loom as the biggest title threats in Shanghai. Though Alcaraz dropped back to third prior to the China Open, he has leap-frogged German Alexander Zverev who enjoyed the career-high two for a week, while former world number one Novak Djokovic makes his return in an unfamiliar fourth seeding spot.

DANGERS

Zverev reached a final in his home country back in July, and then went on to make two quarter finals and a semi-final during the North American swing. He lost to Taylor Fritz in the semi-finals there who has been his nemesis of late beating him in three Grand Slams this year. The pair are scheduled to face off in a quarter final which will be a fascinating watch.

Daniil Medvedev always looms as a danger to any opponent given his unconventional playing style, but of late has struggled to get over the top few stars as he comfortably sits as fifth in the world behind. Other Top 10 talents Andrey Rublev and Casper Ruud need to be respected by are more flaky than the others, while Grigor Dimitrov and Stefanos Tsitsipas have the game to take out the title, but need a clean run and a bit of luck.

DARK HORSES

A disappointing loss when having championship point in Tokyo aside, Frenchman Ugo Humbert is firing up and will be difficult to beat if at his best. A Top 10 player in waiting if he can put it all together, Humbert has struggled through the big Slams, but always saves his best for the last three months of the year. He and the player that beat him in compatriot Arthur Fils have to be watched, while Olympic bronze medallist Lorenzo Musetti keeps getting to ATP Tour finals without winning them.

Young American Brandon Nakashima – who earned the 32nd seed spot off the back of great form and is currently ranked 36th in the world – cannot be denied as a roughie, will be a worry to higher ranked opponents, but does have Fritz as his likely Round of 32 opponent.

LOCAL CHANCES

China has had a huge 2024 for both its ATP and WTA Tour players, and now have a some serious talent at its disposal. Zhizhen Zhang is the top-ranked Chinese player at the event at 41st, while the supremely talented but raw Juncheng Shang will be a Top 30 players early in the new year. Yunchaokete Bu‘s shock semi-final run in Beijing will mean he is no longer an underdog and received a special exception, while Yibing Wu and Yi Zhou were the others to receive wildcards.

PREDICTION

If he remains fit, it feels like Alcaraz is the man for the job, but Sinner is just as capable and the pair loom as the two players to beat at the event. Another semi-final is on the cards with Alcaraz landing in Sinner’s half, though the German might struggle against Fritz, making it a Fritz-Djokovic semi-final, while Sinner faces Alcaraz in the other semi. Regardless, a must-watch event is set to take place.