While Novak Djokovic is on the rise, Carlos Alcaraz beat Jannik Sinner to win the Shanghai Masters title

The ATP Asian swing is heading towards a single event: the Shanghai Masters.

The tournament has become one of the biggest championships won by men since it was first organized in 2009. Novak DjokovicRoger Federer and Andy Murray lift multiple titles.

Djokovic returns to the event this season after skipping the tournament’s return in 2023 and could fancy his chances with the absence of reigning champion Hubert Hurkacz.

But it is unlikely to be that simple. Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcarazand Alexander Zverev are also competing for the title.

We are making our predictions before the action starts on Wednesday.

Alcaraz lifted the title

Alcaraz suffered a painful defeat at the US Open but has since looked like a reborn man; She won all her singles matches at the Davis Cup and Laver Cup before making a run to the China Open final.

After Beijing, he will head to Shanghai and it is hard to see who can stop him.

The Spaniard has a good early draw with top seeds Nicolas Jarry and Ugo Humbert, who are expected to meet ahead of a possible quarter-final against eighth seed Casper Ruud.

This should be favorable for Alcaraz, but he could face a semi-final against Sinner or Daniil Medvedev.

Neither player will be an easy matchup, but these are contests he can and perhaps should win on his way to a fourth title in 2024.

Djokovic is on the rise

This will be Djokovic’s first ATP event since his early departure from New York and a brief foray into the world No. 4 at the Davis Cup since his defeat to Alexei Popyrin.

Olympic gold aside, this hasn’t been a great year for the Serb, but Shanghai is one of his happiest hunting grounds; No one can match his four titles in the tournament.

Djokovic’s draw has been positive throughout the first week, and although it won’t be easy to reach the quarter-finals against sixth seed Andrey Rublev or ninth seed Grigor Dimitrov, he should still manage to get through.

Second seed Zverev is a major potential block in the semi-finals, but with doubts about the German’s health and the health of his pending foe Taylor Fritz in the last eight, Djokovic’s path could open nicely.

We expect Djokovic to reach the final and make the ATP Finals qualification process a little simpler.

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What about Sinner?

A lot can be said about Sinner right now, on and off the field; but his prowess on the hard court is undeniable.

Although the Italian’s draw is not as good as Alcaraz’s or Djokovic’s, the world No. 1 should be considered a significant contender to lift this title.

While 14th seed Ben Shelton, who beat him in Shanghai a year ago, may wait in the fourth round, he is expected to face Medvedev again in the last eight.

We know Sinner can do well in this draw, but how much energy might he have left ahead of his potential semi-final against Alcaraz?

Running for the championship is far from impossible, but it can be difficult.

Fritz found his form

This has been a hugely successful season for American No.1 Fritz, culminating in his run to the US Open final last month.

The world No. 7 faltered a bit in Tokyo, his first ATP event since Flushing Meadows, but has had plenty of time to recover and should dig deep here.

32nd seed Brandon Nakashima is not an easy draw in the third round, and playing in the fourth round against Jiri Lehecka or Holger Rune should also be a challenge.

However, in 2024, he often found himself on the right side in such matches and there is no reason why he cannot do so again.

Fritz could face Zverev in the last eight and perhaps book a semi-final clash with Djokovic by winning three matches against the world No.2 this summer.

More success at home?

There is no doubt that the Asian knock has so far been an extremely successful spell on home soil for Chinese ATP players.

The highlight was Jerry Shang claiming the first title in Chengdu, but it was an impressive showing as Zhang Zhizhen reached the Hangzhou final and Bu Yunchaokete reached the last four in Beijing.

All three will be in Shanghai and with the momentum and fans behind them, we can expect more impressive performances from the emerging tennis nation.