Shanghai is decidedly bitter for Italian tennis. In one day, Flavio Cobolli, Matteo Berrettini and also Lorenzo Musetti bid farewell to the Masters 1000: a negative en plein that doesn’t bring back a smile in light of Jannik Sinner’s absence from the scenes. Cobolli, world no. 7, shows only a few flashes of his best version, eventually losing 6-1 4-6 6-3 to the Frenchman Adrian Mannarino, number 83 ATP, who scores the twelfth success in a career Top 10, the first of 2026 and will now face Karen Khachanov (27 ATP), semi-finalist this year at the US Open. Red light also for Berrettini in the second round of the penultimate 1000 of the season: the Roman tennis player, currently n.46 ATP, was overcome in two sets with a score of 7-6(4) 7-5, in an hour and 52 minutes of play, by the American Brandon Nakashima, n.19 in the ranking and 16 in the seeding. A tormented return for Musetti who, after having withdrawn from the Tokyo tournament due to a contusion fracture in the ring finger of his right hand, was eliminated from the world no.277: it was in fact the glory day of the Chinese Zhou Yi who prevailed over the Tuscan no.25 in the ranking with a score of 7-6(7) 3-6 7-6(1).
In the first round the Asian player, born in 2005, had overcome Mattia Bellucci, and now he will play against Hubert Hurkacz for the first time in his career in the third round of a Masters 1000. And the Polish tennis player himself earned the spotlight in Shanghai by eliminating his majesty Novak Djokovic in the first round, fresh winner of the Beijing tournament, in straight sets with a score of 6-4 6-3. Eight precedents between the two with the Serbian always winning. «It’s a special evening – Hurkacz’s words – I’ve been facing Novak for about seven years and until now I had never beaten him but he has been a great champion for a very long time. He is at the top of the Tour and has just won in Beijing, so facing him is a very difficult task; However, for me it is a pleasure to share the field with him and play against a legend of the sport.” However, Alexander Zverev’s run does not stop, waiting to take the world throne, he overcame the Chinese Yibing Wu in ninety minutes with a score of 6-4 7-6(4). Rubleva was eliminated, easy for Shelton, Tiafoe and Mensik.