Alcaraz avoids Djokovic in Shanghai but could clash with the reigning champion

The draw for the 2026 Shanghai Masters 1000 took place while most of you were sleeping early this Monday morning. With the absence of Jannik Sinner, all the weight of the tournament will once again fall on the shoulders of Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz, the first and second favorites. And what about Novak Djokovic? Should we include him in this mix as well?

This will be the penultimate Masters 1000 of the season, one where Valentin Vacherot must defend the greatest achievement of his tennis career. And by the way, we can already tell you that he is in Alcaraz's section of the draw. As for Novak Djokovic, we will see if he ultimately participates or not; he could be a rival for Alexander Zverev in the semifinals, which is good news for the Murcian. Next, we will review in detail what the hottest matchups could be in each quadrant.

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1st Quadrant: Zverev looks to regain form, and Jódar has another high-profile path

Alexander Zverev will be the top seed and has a relatively comfortable debut on paper, as he will start against Wu Yibing or a player coming from the qualifying round. He could then face another dangerous, but lesser contender, before the real threat appears in the round of 16. The German shares his quarter with Flavio Cobolli and Alex de Miñaur, so either of them could become his opponent in the quarter-finals.

Cobolli is having an extraordinary season and is fighting to qualify for the ATP Finals, while De Miñaur always poses a threat on hard courts due to his defensive ability and speed. In Zverev's path, notable names such as Matteo Berrettini, Alexander Bublik, and Brandon Nakashima also appear, with the latter being quite popular in recent months. Other players to avoid would be Andrey Rublev and Karen Khachanov, potential quarterfinal opponents, although not more dangerous than those already mentioned like De Miñaur or Cobolli.

2nd Quadrant: Djokovic returns to Shanghai and could meet Zverev in the semifinals

Novak Djokovic will be one of the main attractions of the Shanghai Masters 1000 if he does not withdraw at the last minute. The Serbian, a four-time champion of the tournament, will start against Hubert Hurkacz or James Duckworth and will have the opportunity to gain rhythm in the early rounds before facing stronger opponents. His potential rival in the third round could be Lorenzo Musetti, while in the round of 16, Frances Tiafoe could appear.

The American arrives with the confidence of having reached the semifinals of the US Open and also needs important points to get closer to the ATP Finals, making this match one of the big attractions in this section of the bracket. In the quarterfinals, the name that stands out the most is Ben Shelton. The American is the third seed and arrives in Shanghai after playing in the final of the last Grand Slam of the season. Moreover, he already knows what it’s like to perform at a high level in this tournament, where he reached the quarterfinals in his debut in 2023.

Thus, Djokovic will have a path with several difficulties, but the good news is that if he overcomes all those obstacles, he could face Alexander Zverev in the semifinals. The two just had an incredible match in Beijing, where the Serbian came back against the German in the quarterfinals, and the draw has placed them in the same half again.

3rd Quadrant: Fils and Auger-Aliassime against the threat of Jódar and Tien

Arthur Fils and Félix Auger-Aliassime share the spotlight in the third quadrant, although you will allow us to also include Rafa Jódar in the mix. The Frenchman will have good opponents like Alex Michelsen or Jiri Lehecka on the horizon if he wants to make it to the final rounds, although it is the Madrid native who should theoretically compete for that spot once the quarter-finals arrive. Jódar will kick off against the winner of the match between Thiago Agustín Tirante and Hamad Medjedovic, two strong hitters arriving in very different form.

On the other side, Félix Auger-Aliassime appears, who may have as a possible first opponent Camilo Ugo Carabelli or a player from the qualifiers. The Canadian is a wild card, although he has shown us throughout the season that he has the consistency needed to stay within the top ten in the rankings. Pablo Carreño, Alejandro Tabilo, and Casper Ruud are threats from his side, but the name that truly invokes fear is Learner Tien. The American is the dark horse, the one who could sneak into the top eight of the tournament and deliver a great surprise there.

4th Quadrant: Alcaraz will have Vacherot on the horizon and Medvedev waits in the quarters

We finally arrive at the quadrant of Carlos Alcaraz, the last one we have left to review. As the second seed, the Murcian will begin his journey against Juan Manuel Cerúndolo or a player from the qualifying rounds, while Ignacio Buse appears as a possible opponent in the third round. The big curiosity will come in the round of 16, where Alcaraz could face the reigning champion Valentin Vacherot or Tommy Paul. The Monegasque starred in one of the great stories of last year by becoming the Masters 1000 champion with the lowest ranking in history after coming through the qualifying rounds, and now he will have the chance to face one of the big favorites again.

If Alcaraz manages to overcome this test, the next obstacle could be Daniil Medvedev or Taylor Fritz. The Russian arrives in particularly sweet form after winning the Hangzhou title and has accumulated a streak of seven consecutive victories, while Fritz is looking to regain prominence after an inconsistent season. It won't be an easy path for Carlitos, who seeks to keep accumulating matches after returning to the circuit following several months away and finding that level of confidence that allows him to tackle the final part of the calendar with guarantees. However, if he manages to get past the early rounds, the draw opens an important door to the semifinals.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Alcaraz evita a Djokovic en Shanghai pero podría chocar con el vigente campeón