Shanghai, the penultimate Masters 1000 of the year has, in recent years, been one of the most unpredictable. Several withdrawals are already contributing to the narrative of the tournament as it’s set to get underway soon.
Which Players Have Withdrawn from Shanghai?
Jannik Sinner has once again pushed back his return to the court, withdrawing from the tournament he won back in 2024. Sinner has been out with a knee injury since his Wimbledon title run, but unlike many of the tournaments he’s missed out on, he doesn’t have a significant amount of points to defend here, having retired against Tallon Griekspoor in the third round in 2025. Still, Sinner’s withdrawal will hurt his standing as the World No. 1 and it’s still unclear when he will return this season—or if he will at all.
A player that does have plenty to defend in Shanghai is last year’s finalist Arthur Rinderknech, who cited an abdominal injury as keeping him out of the tournament this year. Rinderknech will suffer a decent drop in the ATP rankings, with those Shanghai points doing a significant amount of work to hold up his ranking. On the whole, it’s been a subpar season for Rinderknech and this non-result only highlights that.
Sebastian Korda and Ethan Quinn, two players who have been out with injury for months, won’t be able to play in Shanghai as they continue to work their way back to health. For Korda, whose career has been riddled by injuries, this long absence is especially concerning. Joao Fonseca has also dealt with frequent injuries in his short career so far, and a back injury will keep him out of Shanghai.
Another expected withdrawal came from Corentin Moutet, who hasn’t played since his retirement in the first round of the US Open. Similarly, Raphael Collignon hasn’t played since the first round of the US Open and won’t be playing in Shanghai. Roman Andres Burruchaga, whose last tournament was the US Open as well, has also withdrawn from this tournament.
Who Replaced Those Players in the Main Draw?
Like many of the withdrawn players, Marin Cilic hasn’t played since the US Open, where he withdrew from his first-round match. But instead of withdrawing, Cilic takes advantage of Quinn’s withdrawal to enter the main draw. He hasn’t been able to string together many wins this season but still maintains a spot inside the top 100, with the potential to trouble just about anyone on his best days.
Zachary Svajda, who was on an excellent run of form this summer before stalling somewhat in the North American hard court swing, has entered the main draw due to Fonseca’s withdrawal. Svadja lost in the first round of Tokyo qualifying to Aleksandar Kovacevic, who will also be an alternate in Shanghai as he replaces Rinderknech.
Coming off a recent title run at a Challenger, Facundo Diaz Acosta benefits from his countryman Burruchaga’s withdrawal. Diaz Acosta is currently ranked inside the top 70 and barely missed out on the initial cut for the entry list. Another Argentinian player sneaking his way into the draw is Marco Trungelliti, who replaces Moutet. While Trungelliti hasn’t had any standout results since his stellar run in Marrakech, he now has the ranking to get into these draws.
Hamad Medjedovic, who is currently on a five-match losing streak and hasn’t played since the US Open, has a chance to pick up some wins as Korda’s withdrawal gets him into the main draw. Alternate Marcos Giron, into the main draw due to Collignon’s withdrawal, is also on a five-match losing streak.
Rounding out the withdrawals is Rinky Hijikata, who takes Sinner’s place.
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey-Imagn Images
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