Shanghai Masters 2026: Tickets, Getting There, and Match Times
The Rolex Shanghai Masters is Asia's only ATP Masters 1000 tournament, played outdoors on hard courts: 96 players,162 matches, October 5, 2026 to October 18, 2026 at Qizhong Tennis Center in the south-west of Shanghai. The top seeds are Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz. Three things decide your trip: the first three days still fall in Golden Week, so hotels cost holiday prices; there's no metro to the venue, only shuttles and taxis; and the day session starts at 12:00 – that's 06:00 in Central Europe.
In short: Oct 8–Oct 14 is the best window – Golden Week is over, all seeds are in the draw, and Stadium Court still has separate day and night sessions. From Oct 15 there are fewer matches at higher prices.
14 days at a glance
Each tile is a day. The color shows our editorial assessment of crowds and prices, not the sporting phase.
Schedule 2026: which day suits you?
Pick a day to see the round, the holiday status, and the matching ticket. Confirmed: qualifying on October 5 and 6, main draw from October 7 (the official order of play for October 8 still shows first-round matches on every court), and the final on October 18. The rounds in between are our estimate based on how a 96-player draw runs and on the 2025 schedule – not an official order of play. The organizer publishes that the day before; we'll update this page if anything shifts.
Mon, Oct 5 2026
Holiday tail- Men's singles (ATP Masters 1000)
- Qualifying, first round
October 5: Qualifying starts, tickets cost 60 yuan and come back as a voucher. But it's still Golden Week: hotels and trains in Shanghai are at holiday prices.
Matching tickets
- Qualifying ticket (60 yuan)
The "Holiday tail / Recommended / Finals phase" classification is our own editorial assessment, not measured occupancy or pricing data.
All 14 days at a glance
Mon, Oct 5 2026Holiday tailGolden WeekShow details ▾
- Men's singles (ATP Masters 1000)
- Qualifying, first round
October 5: Qualifying starts, tickets cost 60 yuan and come back as a voucher. But it's still Golden Week: hotels and trains in Shanghai are at holiday prices.
Matching tickets: Qualifying ticket (60 yuan)
Tue, Oct 6 2026Holiday tailGolden WeekShow details ▾
- Men's singles (ATP Masters 1000)
- Qualifying, final round
October 6: Last day of qualifying at the 60-yuan rate. Few crowds on the grounds, and many main-draw players are already there to practice.
Matching tickets: Qualifying ticket (60 yuan)
Wed, Oct 7 2026Holiday tailGolden WeekShow details ▾
- Men's singles (ATP Masters 1000)
- Main draw, first round
October 7: The main draw starts on the last day of Golden Week – the nationwide return-travel rush. The 32 seeds have a first-round bye, so the big names aren't playing yet.
Matching tickets: Outside courts · Stadium Court – day session · Stadium Court – night session
Thu, Oct 8 2026RecommendedShow details ▾
- Men's singles (ATP Masters 1000)
- Main draw, first round
October 8: The holidays are over and hotel prices are back to normal. Still first round on every court – lots of matches at once, a good day for a cheap outside-court ticket.
Matching tickets: Outside courts · Grandstand 2 · Stadium Court – day session
Fri, Oct 9 2026RecommendedShow details ▾
- Men's singles (ATP Masters 1000)
- Second round (expected) – the seeds start playing
Round assignment provisional, not an official order of play.
October 9: Most likely the first matches of the 32 seeds. From here on the well-known names are on Stadium Court, often in the night session.
Matching tickets: Stadium Court – night session · Stadium Court – day session
Sat, Oct 10 2026RecommendedMakeup workday (调休)Show details ▾
- Men's singles (ATP Masters 1000)
- Second round (expected)
Round assignment provisional, not an official order of play.
October 10: A Saturday, but a regular working day in China (a makeup workday after Golden Week). Expect fewer local spectators during the day than on a normal weekend.
Matching tickets: Stadium Court – day session · Stadium Court – night session · Grandstand 2
Sun, Oct 11 2026RecommendedShow details ▾
- Men's singles (ATP Masters 1000)
- Third round (expected)
Round assignment provisional, not an official order of play.
October 11: A Sunday with the round of 32. Expect more local spectators on the weekend – get Stadium Court tickets early.
Matching tickets: Stadium Court – day session · Stadium Court – night session
Mon, Oct 12 2026RecommendedShow details ▾
- Men's singles (ATP Masters 1000)
- Third round (expected)
Round assignment provisional, not an official order of play.
October 12: A weekday with third-round matches – a full schedule on the show courts with smaller crowds than on the weekend.
Matching tickets: Grandstand 2 · Stadium Court – day session · Stadium Court – night session
Tue, Oct 13 2026RecommendedShow details ▾
- Men's singles (ATP Masters 1000)
- Round of 16 (expected)
Round assignment provisional, not an official order of play.
October 13: Round of 16 – only the last 16 players left, all on the show courts. In our assessment the best mix of top matches and normal prices.
Matching tickets: Stadium Court – day session · Stadium Court – night session
Wed, Oct 14 2026RecommendedShow details ▾
- Men's singles (ATP Masters 1000)
- Quarterfinals (expected)
Round assignment provisional, not an official order of play.
October 14: Most likely the first quarterfinals. The last day with separate day and night sessions on Stadium Court.
Matching tickets: Stadium Court – night session · Stadium Court – day session
Thu, Oct 15 2026Finals phaseShow details ▾
- Men's singles (ATP Masters 1000)
- Quarterfinals (expected)
Round assignment provisional, not an official order of play.
October 15: From today a Stadium Court ticket covers the whole day. Fewer matches, higher prices.
Matching tickets: Stadium Court – full day
Fri, Oct 16 2026Finals phaseShow details ▾
- Men's singles (ATP Masters 1000)
- Semifinal (expected) + Federer exhibition
Round assignment provisional, not an official order of play.
October 16: According to the organizer's ticket offer, Roger Federer plays a doubles exhibition with other former pros on this day – it has its own ticket package.
Matching tickets: October 16 exhibition package · Stadium Court – full day
Sat, Oct 17 2026Finals phaseShow details ▾
- Men's singles (ATP Masters 1000)
- Semifinal (expected)
Round assignment provisional, not an official order of play.
October 17: A Saturday with a semifinal, gates only open at 12:30. High demand; the start time is in the previous day's order of play.
Matching tickets: Stadium Court – full day
Sun, Oct 18 2026Finals phaseShow details ▾
- Men's singles (ATP Masters 1000)
- Final (singles)
October 18: The final, gates open at 12:30. Flying out the same evening? Pudong airport is about 45 km away in a straight line – leave plenty of time to get there.
Matching tickets: Stadium Court – full day
Match times in your time zone
Shanghai is 6 hours ahead of Germany for the whole tournament. That means the day session starts before breakfast in Europe, and the night session at lunchtime.
| What | Shanghai | Germany / Austria / Switzerland (CEST) | UK / Ireland (BST) | US East Coast (EDT) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gates open (Oct 5–Oct 16) | 10:30 | 04:30 | 03:30 | 22:30 |
| First match on every court | 12:00 | 06:00 | 05:00 | 00:00 |
| Night session, Stadium Court (Oct 7–Oct 14) | not before 18:00 | not before 12:00 | not before 11:00 | not before 06:00 |
| Gates open (Oct 17–Oct 18) | 12:30 | 06:30 | 05:30 | 00:30 |
Europe switches back to winter time on October 25, 2026 – after the tournament. From then on the difference to Germany is 7 hours, which matters if you follow the women's tournaments in China later in October. Start times for the semifinals and the final appear in the order of play the day before: official schedule.
First match at 12:00 on every court and "not before 18:00" for the night session, per the official order of play for October 8. Gate times from the organizer's "Opening Times" page (labeled there as 2025 values, confirmed for 2026 by the Shanghai local press). Start times for the semifinals and the final only appear in the previous day's order of play.
Shanghai Masters tickets: prices and where to buy
Sales opened on July 30, 2026. Prices range from 60 to 1,830 yuan depending on day, court, and seat. The organizer doesn't publish a full price list outside its ticket store, so we only list prices that are officially stated.
Qualifying ticket (60 yuan)
October 5 and 6 (as during the carnival on October 1–4): 60 yuan, which you get back on site as a voucher for food, drinks, and merchandise.
Stadium Court – day session
October 7–14: a seat in Stadium Court for the matches from 12:00 until the night session.
Price: by category in the ticket store
Stadium Court – night session
October 7–14: matches from 18:00 local time at the earliest, Stadium Court opens one hour before. The biggest names often end up in this session.
Price: by category in the ticket store
Stadium Court – full day
October 15–18: no more split into day and night, one ticket covers every match of the day on Stadium Court.
Price: by category in the ticket store
Grandstand 2
Separate tickets for the second-largest court, no day/night split. Like Stadium Court, it has a retractable roof.
Price: by category in the ticket store
Outside courts
Access to the grounds and the outside courts, no day/night split. No roof – play stops there when it rains.
Price: by category in the ticket store
October 16 exhibition package
Announced by the organizer as the "超级挚友" package: a doubles exhibition with Roger Federer and other former pros.
Price: by category in the ticket store
Where to buy
From abroad: through the official ticket store linked on the English tournament site – after your purchase, the store contacts you. In China: 久事体育 App, 久事体育 WeChat-Miniprogramm, 久事体育 Alipay-Miniprogramm. Hospitality packages are sold separately through ATP Tour Experiences.
Real-name tickets: bring your passport
Every ticket is tied to the ID used to buy it. At the gate you show that same original document – for foreign visitors, the passport. Bring the original, not a copy.
Official channel vs. resellers
Search results for Shanghai Masters tickets are full of resellers. With real-name tickets, there's a real risk that the name on a resold ticket won't match your passport and you're turned away at the gate. Buy through the official site or the 久事体育 app.
Getting to Qizhong Tennis Center
Qizhong Tennis Center (旗忠森林体育城网球中心, 5500 Yuanjiang Road, Minhang District, Shanghai) has 25 courts; the largest is Stadium Court with about 15,000 seats. It sits in a residential area in Minhang district, about 24 km from People's Square – the metro doesn't reach it. Fares, the airport lines, and how to pay in the metro are on our Shanghai Metro page.
Streets, courts, and grounds come from open map data (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL). The lines to the shuttle starting points and accommodation zones show the real compass bearing but aren't drawn to scale – the straight-line distance is given next to each. The position of the Caoxi bus hub is approximate.
Map data: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL license.
Shuttle starting points
- Xinzhuang (莘庄) – terminus of Lines 1 and 5; shuttle DZ207 from the South Plaza, 2 yuan
- Zhuanqiao (颛桥) – Line 5; metro express bus and DZ207, 2 yuan each
- Caoxi (漕溪) – return only: DZ208 from the venue to the Caoxi bus hub in Xujiahui, 10 yuan; metro connections there
No metro station within walking distance: the closest stations, Zhuanqiao and Beiqiao (Line 5), are about 5 km away in a straight line. From there you continue by shuttle or taxi.
Venue Layout
- Stadium Court
- Show Court 3
- Grandstand 2
- plus 16 outside courts (unlabeled on the map)
Accommodation Zones
- Xinzhuang (莘庄) – approx. 8 km, shuttle DZ207 direct
- Xujiahui (徐家汇) – approx. 19 km, Line 1 to Xinzhuang without changing, DZ208 on the way back
- Hongqiao (虹桥) – approx. 18 km, tournament coach from Hongqiao railway station
- People's Square / the Bund (人民广场 / 外滩) – approx. 24 km, Line 1 to Xinzhuang without changing, tournament coach from People's Square
| Shuttle | Route | Fare | Runs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Line DZ207 | Xinzhuang metro (Lines 1/5), South Plaza ↔ Zhuanqiao metro (Line 5) ↔ Qizhong | 2 yuan | October 5–18 |
| Metro express bus (地铁快巴) | Zhuanqiao metro (Line 5) ↔ Qizhong | 2 yuan | during the tournament |
| Line DZ208 | Qizhong → Caoxi bus hub (漕溪公交枢纽, Xujiahui), this direction only | 10 yuan | during the tournament |
| Tournament coaches (定制班线) | Qizhong ↔ Hongqiao railway station, People's Square, Zhongshan Park, Oriental Sports Center (1 outbound, 4 return lines); return departure 30 minutes after the last match | see booking | October 7–18 |
Tournament coaches are booked in advance via 久事体育 App, Trip.com / Ctrip, 62580, 随申行 (WeChat); remaining seats are sold on site.
By taxi or Didi
The organizer calls this the easiest way, since there's no parking for spectators. Regular taxis drop off and pick up at Gate 2 (main entrance); ride-hailing cars use the Zhongqing Road / Yuanjiang Road intersection (中青路 / 元江路), near Gate 6. Show the driver the address in Chinese: 上海市闵行区元江路5500号.
From the airports and stations
Hongqiao (airport and railway station) is about 17 km away in a straight line, Pudong airport about 45 km. By metro, take Line 1 or Line 5 to Xinzhuang and change to the DZ207 shuttle. From October 7 the tournament coach also runs from Hongqiao railway station.
Gates, security check & bags
Main entrance is Gate 2; Stadium Court tickets are checked again at glass door 16. Bags may be at most 55 × 40 × 20 cm. Not allowed: glass bottles, alcohol, long umbrellas, professional cameras, drones, rackets and balls. Re-entry on the same day is allowed.
Rain, sun, and evenings
Stadium Court and Grandstand 2 have retractable roofs; play on the outside courts stops when it rains. Mid-October days in Shanghai can still be warm and sunny while evenings get cool – bring sun protection and a layer for the night session. A compact umbrella is fine; long umbrellas aren't allowed.
Shuttle lines as reported by the Shanghai local press; taxi and Didi points from the organizer. Sources: organizer, Shanghai Observer (as of 2026-10-07).
What travelers often miss
Golden Week overlaps the first three days
The national holiday runs until October 7, 2026. Until then, hotels charge holiday prices, and Oct 7 is the big return-travel day – trains and flights are full. 12306 releases train tickets 15 days in advance. More on our Golden Week 2026 page.
October 10, 2026: a Saturday that's a workday
China makes up for Golden Week with a working Saturday (调休). Offices and schools are open as on a weekday; the tournament runs as normal. Daytime crowds are likely smaller than on a regular weekend. More on our public holidays page.
The last shuttle
Night sessions can run late. The tournament coaches leave 30 minutes after the last match; for the regular shuttles and the metro, check the time before the last match starts. Otherwise plan on a taxi or Didi from the pickup points above.
Paying on site
The organizer accepts cash and credit cards on site, but Alipay and WeChat Pay are the norm. Whether your card works with them depends on your bank – see our status page.
Where to stay? Four areas to choose from
There's no hotel district near Qizhong – the grounds are surrounded by villas and industrial estates. So the question is how far you want to be from the shuttle versus from the city. We don't recommend individual hotels; availability around a tournament changes too fast. Here's a guide by area:
Xinzhuang (莘庄)
approx. 8 km, shuttle DZ207 direct
The shortest trip by public transport: terminus of Lines 1 and 5, the shuttle leaves from the South Plaza. A residential area with malls, not much to see.
Xujiahui (徐家汇)
approx. 19 km, Line 1 to Xinzhuang without changing, DZ208 on the way back
A good compromise: an urban district with restaurants and malls, and Line 1 runs to the Xinzhuang shuttle without a change.
Hongqiao (虹桥)
approx. 18 km, tournament coach from Hongqiao railway station
For short visits by train or domestic flight: Hongqiao railway station and airport sit side by side, and the tournament coach leaves from here (October 7–18).
People's Square / the Bund (人民广场 / 外滩)
approx. 24 km, Line 1 to Xinzhuang without changing, tournament coach from People's Square
For combining tennis with sightseeing: the well-known sights are close by, but it's about an hour each way to the venue.
For sights and neighborhoods, see our Shanghai city guide.
FAQ
When is the Shanghai Masters 2026?
From October 5, 2026 to October 18, 2026 at Qizhong Tennis Center in Shanghai. Qualifying is on October 5 and 6, the main draw starts on October 7, 2026, and the singles final is on October 18, 2026.
How much are Shanghai Masters tickets?
Between 60 and 1,830 yuan, depending on day, court, and seat. Qualifying days cost 60 yuan, which you get back on site as a voucher. Stadium Court tickets are split into day and night sessions until October 14, 2026; from Oct 15 one ticket covers the whole day.
How do foreigners buy tickets?
The organizer's English site links to its official ticket store (https://ztmen.jussyun.com/); after you buy, the store contacts you. In China, tickets are sold through the 久事体育 (Jiushi Sports) app and its WeChat and Alipay mini-programs. Tickets are real-name: bring the passport you bought them with. Prices range from 60 to 1,830 yuan.
What time do the matches start in Europe?
Play starts at 12:00 in Shanghai, which is 06:00 in Germany, Austria and Switzerland and 05:00 in the UK. The night session on Stadium Court starts no earlier than 18:00 local time – 12:00 in Central Europe. China is 6 hours ahead of Germany until October 25, 2026, then 7 hours.
Is there a metro to Qizhong Tennis Center?
No. The closest stations, Zhuanqiao and Beiqiao on Line 5, are about 5 km away. During the tournament the DZ207 shuttle runs from Xinzhuang (Lines 1 and 5) via Zhuanqiao to the venue, and a metro express bus runs from Zhuanqiao – both cost 2 yuan. Taxis drop off at Gate 2; ride-hailing (Didi) picks up at the Zhongqing Road / Yuanjiang Road intersection near Gate 6.
Is the Shanghai Masters indoor or outdoor?
Outdoor, on hard courts. Stadium Court and Grandstand 2 have retractable roofs – Stadium Court's opens like a magnolia flower – so play continues there in the rain once the roof is closed. Play on the outside courts stops when it rains.
Who is playing at the Shanghai Masters 2026?
The top seeds are Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, Ben Shelton, Félix Auger-Aliassime. The 32 seeds have a first-round bye and play their first match in round two. Defending champion in singles is Valentin Vacherot, in doubles Kevin Krawietz / Tim Pütz.
Do I need a visa?
German passport holders currently get visa-free entry for 30 days, valid until 2026-12-31. Rules vary widely by nationality – check your own eligibility on our Visa Check page.
Can I pay by card at the venue?
According to the organizer's FAQ, cash and credit cards are accepted on site; Alipay and WeChat Pay are the most convenient. Whether your foreign card works with Alipay or WeChat Pay depends on your bank – our status page tracks the current state.
Sources
- Official tournament site (English): Opening Times, Transportation, FAQ, Schedule
- Shanghai municipal government: 2026 ticket sales, 14 days, 162 matches (July 31, 2026)
- Shanghai Observer: shuttle lines DZ207, DZ208, metro express bus, tournament coaches (September 30, 2026)
- 2026 spectator guide: gates, ID, prohibited items, roof (Sohu)
- Yicai: ticket packages incl. the Federer exhibition on October 16
- Price range 60–1,830 yuan: sh.bendibao.com
- LTA preview: seeds, defending champions
- State Council notice on the 2026 public holiday schedule (Golden Week 2026)
The round for each day between the first round and the final is our estimate and marked as such. Ticket prices per category are only shown in the official ticket store.
Related:China Open Beijing → ·Shanghai city guide → ·Shanghai Metro → ·Golden Week 2026 → ·Check visa-free eligibility → ·Direct flights to Shanghai → ·Current time in China →
Changelog (1)
- 2026-10-07Page published: tournament dates, ticket types and price range, date check for all 14 days, match times in European time zones, shuttle lines, and a venue map from OpenStreetMap data.