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The Shanghai Masters tennis tournament is a professional tennis tournament that takes place in Shanghai, China each year. The tournament is for the men only as part of the ATP Tour Masters 1000 series.
Whether you’re traveling to the tournament or watching from home, here’s everything a tennis fan should know to enjoy the Shanghai Masters.
About the Shanghai Masters Tennis Tournament
The Shanghai Masters is also known as the Shanghai Rolex Masters because the famous watchmaker is the sponsor for this event. It has only been around since 2009 but is already a popular event that people look forward to in China each year.
Where is the Shanghai Masters?
The Shanghai Masters tournament is located in the Minhang District of Shanghai, China. It’s on the eastern coast of the country at the Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena.
When is the Shanghai Masters Tennis Tournament?
This tournament takes place each year in October, about a month after the US Open and several weeks before the Paris Masters.
The Shanghai Masters tournament has not taken place for the past several years due to Covid restrictions.
The 2024 tournament took place September 30 – October 13, 2024.
Who Won the Shanghai Masters Tennis Tournament?
The current champions for 2024 are Jannik Sinner of Italy for singles and Nikola Mektić (Croatia) and Wesley Koolhof (Netherlands) for doubles players.
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What Court Surface is the Shanghai Masters Played On?
The court surface at the Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena is a hard outdoor court surface. It’s considered a DecoTurf surface which is the brand that makes the surface for many tennis courts around the world.
Shanghai Masters Prize Money & Ranking Points
The prize money for the 2024 Shanghai Masters tournament was $8.9 million dollars (USD).
- In 2024, the singles winner received $1,100,000 USD, while the runner-up got $585,000.
- In doubles, the winners received $447,300 USD, while the runners-up got $236,800 in 2024.
The ranking points were the same for both singles and doubles in 2024.
- The Champions received 1000 points.
- The Finalists won 600 points.
- The Semi-finalists received 360 points.
- The Quarter-finalists won 180 points.
How to Get Tickets to the Shanghai Masters Tournament
The official website for the Shanghai Masters tournament offers tickets for sale. You can also buy re-sale tickets on websites like Stubhub and Viagogo.
For the venue in Shanghai, there are three main courts.
- Center Court seats 13,800 people.
- Grandstand Court seats 5,000 people.
- The smaller Union Pay Court 3 seats 1,500 people.
There are also 22 outside courts around the property.
For tickets, you can purchase them on three different levels for the Center Court stadium. They include CAT 1 (lower level), CAT 2 (upper-level, first section), and CAT 3 (upper-level, second section).
You can also buy individual tickets for specific days or go with package deals for the entire event.
The Best Places to Stay for the Shanghai Masters
There are many places to stay in the bustling city of Shanghai. This is a grand and modern city with options in all price ranges for the Minhang District.
High-End Hotel Options
For four to five-star hotel options, you can look into these hotels:
- Greentown Shanghai Rose Garden Resort – a four-star hotel, located only five minutes away.
- Shanghai Renji Hotel – a four-star hotel, located 7 minutes away.
Budget-Friendly Options
For budget-friendly options, consider these hotels:
- Shanghai Marriott Hotel Hongqiao – near tons of shops and restaurants, located about 20 minutes away.
- Wistaria Hotel Minhang Shanghai – approximately 15 minutes away.
Airbnb & VRBO in Shanghai
Of course, you can always skip the hotel route and go with Airbnb or VRBO. There are many high-end apartments for rent, rooms in people’s homes, and condos you can stay in during your visit there.
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Getting Around Shanghai
Many of the hotels will offer a free shuttle service to the tennis tournament. If that isn’t an option at the hotel you are staying at, there is a city shuttle bus that runs from the Xinzhuang Station to the front gates of the Qizhong Tennis Centre. It takes about 45 minutes from the downtown area of Shanghai.
You can choose the option of taking a private taxi as well, which the hotel will be happy to schedule for you.
How to Make Your Shanghai Masters Experience Great
With 3 different stadiums and 22 outside courts, you’ll have plenty of tennis to watch at the Shanghai Masters.
The grounds of the Qizhong Forest Sports Arena are modern with architecture that is unlike anywhere else in the world. There are shops, food stands, and Rolex has a large store there to showcase their watches.
When to Arrive at the Tournament
It’s going to be an early morning for you because most of the people going to the tournament will be staying at hotels about 45 minutes away. Traffic can be quite intense in Shanghai, so you are going to want to give yourself plenty of time to arrive at the tournament each day.
What to Bring with You
The weather in Shanghai in October is going to be spring-like with an average temperature of 73 degrees. You’ll want to bring a light jacket, hat, and sunscreen.
Comfortable shoes are important since the grounds at the arena are expansive. Since the stadium is open-air, you’ll be in the sun for a least part of the day depending on where you are sitting.
Keep in mind that you can’t bring any outside food or drink into the venue. Small purses are allowed, but you can’t bring in any large bags or backpacks.
What to Expect Inside
Inside the Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena, you’ll find a festive atmosphere with many people from all over the world in attendance. There are also shops, restaurants, and the main structure itself resembles a giant magnolia flower.
How to Watch the Shanghai Masters Tennis Tournament On TV
Tennis TV offers every match with a subscription.
You can also watch the Shanghai Masters on the Tennis Channel. Streaming matches on the Tennis Channel plus is a third option, but you do need a subscription.
If I purchase a center court night session ticket, can I roam in the grounds in the morning? Or will I be restricted to enter the grounds in the morning?
Same if I get center court morning session ticket, will I be able to roam the grounds at night?
Hi Kelets, most tournaments do not let you in until 2 hours prior to the night session if you have a night session ticket. I’m not positive about this tournament though so you should try contacting the ticketing office to check. It looks like you can email them – https://en.rolexshanghaimasters.com/contact
Usually with morning tickets, you can stay as long as you’d like but they will clear out the main stadium after the day session.