Top seed Alexander Zverev will kick off his Shanghai campaign against crowd favorite Yibing Wu on Friday. Jakub Mensik and Miomir Kecmanovic are also taking the court on the second-round schedule.
(1) Alexander Zverev vs. (WC) Yibing Wu
It’s only a matter of time, as Zverev becoming No. 1 in the world at some point this fall is a mathematical certainty now that Jannik Sinner is out for the year. Although the 29-year-old unquestionably got some help from both Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, it is also well deserved. Zverev won two Grand Slams in 2026, reached at least the semis of all four, and finished runner-up to Sinner at Wimbledon. The German arrives at the Rolex Shanghai Masters with a 5-2 record since his U.S. Open triumph, most recently falling to Novak Djokovic in the Beijing quarters.
Up first for Zverev on Friday is a second meeting with Wu. Their only previous encounter ended abruptly at the 2023 Geneva tournament, as Wu retired down 4-1 in the opening set. Injuries are nothing new for the 26-year-old from China; they have plagued him throughout what was once an extremely promising career. He appears to be healthy at the moment, however, coming off a third-round performance at the U.S. Open (lost to Alcaraz). Wu opened in Shanghai with a 6-3, 7-6(6) defeat of lucky loser Michael Zheng, but Zverev obviously presents an entirely different kind of next. Additionally, the world No. 113 has never done anything at this event aside from a third-round effort in 2024 (lost to Alcaraz).
Pick: Zverev in 2
Miomir Kecmanovic vs. (13) Jakub Mensik
Mensik and Kecmanovic will be going head-to-head for the third time in their careers on Friday. Both of their previous contests have gone Mensik’s way — 6-3, 7-6(7) on the indoor hard courts of Vienna in 2024 and 7-5, 6-4 at the 2025 Beijing tournament.
More of the same should be in store for this matchup, as Mensik is playing relatively well and — mainly thanks to Sinner opening up another spot — is certainly within striking distance of a Nitto ATP Finals berth. Whereas some guys are simply playing out the string at this point in a long season, motivation for Mensik will be extremely high. Kemanovic, who dismissed Rei Sakamoto on Wednesday, has not won back-to-back matches since June (Mallorca). That drought will likely continue for the 61st-ranked Serb.
Pick: Mensik in 2
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