Djokovic, Federer reunion adds more shine to star-studded tournament

When action swings off on Wednesday at the state-of-the-art Qizhong Tennis Center in western Shanghai, fans of the rapid-fire, adrenaline-pumping men's game know they are in for a real treat, like nothing elsewhere at the same tier of competition.

The 96 best available singles players, including all the top-ranked ATP stars, have descended on the East China metropolis, where they will vie for a share of the more than $9 million prize purse and the 1,000 ranking points afforded the winner at the 2025 Rolex Shanghai Masters, the pinnacle of men's tennis in Asia and the penultimate ATP 1000 tournament of the season.

Of course, the current top three in Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev will be there, ready to rumble, but it is the reunion of two of the all-time "Big Three" that has left the sport's global fan base envious of their peers in Shanghai.

Confirmed after a last-minute decision, 24-time Grand Slam champion, and a four-time winner of the tournament, Novak Djokovic is making an unexpected and exciting return to the city, where he has racked up 39 wins, the most ever, across 10 appearances.

The Serbian great will, for sure, be greeted enthusiastically by his loyal Chinese fans, and, possibly, by an old rival — Swiss legend Roger Federer — an ambassador for the Shanghai tournament and who is due to make a special appearance on Oct 10 as part of the Roger & Friends Celebrity Doubles match.

"Shanghai has always been a special place for me with great fans, unforgettable memories and a real love for the game," said Federer, a two-time champion in Shanghai, who retired in 2022.

Djokovic, who also competed in Shanghai last year and lost to Sinner in the final, originally wasn't expected to travel to Asia, having confessed to mainly be focusing on the Slams for the remainder of his career, looking for a crack at a 25th major singles title that will help him break the tie with women's legend Margaret Court.

The 83-year-old Australian great was on-site at the Qizhong center on Monday as a guest during the draw ceremony alongside wildcards Stan Wawrinka and Wu Yibing, who, together, witnessed the unveiling of the tournament's refurbished Grandstand Court, equipped with a retractable roof.

With the roof being able to be fully closed in under 10 minutes, the upgrade of the 5,000-seat court will help significantly address issues caused by rain delays alongside the Stadium court, which already has a built-in roof.

"We're bulletproof now as far as the weather is concerned. We can still play no matter what," Charles Smith, representative of ATP tournament advisory council, said of the facility upgrade.

"I guarantee you, there is no city in the world that can build stadiums as fast as Shanghai," Smith said. "My friends in Europe say this would take three, four, probably five years (to build), and we did it in about seven or eight months."

Other major upgrades include the transformation of Court 17 into the Royal Caribbean masters training court, with a stand expansion to 1,200 regular and 150 VIP seats to better accommodate fans' interest watching their beloved stars practice up close.

"It's huge for fans, that they are able to come here for two weeks to see the best tennis players in the world," said Wu, the best-performing home player in Shanghai last year who reached the third round.

"This is the court where I won my first Challenger title (2017), so it means a lot, and I am very happy to see, in China, the huge development of tennis and the bright future of the tournament."

As for the title race on court, defending champion Sinner and world No 1 Alcaraz remain the only two clear-cut favorites.

The two young superstars have met in the last three Slam finals, with the Spaniard bagging titles at Roland Garros and the US Open, and the Italian capturing Wimbledon. Sinner also retained his Australian Open title in January. Overall, they have accounted for the last eight Grand Slam titles.

"We are looking forward to another exciting Rolex Shanghai Masters and we have an outstanding field," said tournament director Michael Luevano.

From 2009-2013, the tournament was voted ATP Masters 1000 Tournament of the Year by the players five times in a row, while last year it won the "Standards of Excellence" award from the ATP for exceptional quality, hospitality and player experience.