China Open 2026: Zverev and Djokovic lead field as Beijing event begins September 30
Top players Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic head the entry list for the China Open 2026, which will be staged at the China National Tennis Center in Beijing beginning September 30. The men’s ATP 500 runs through October 6 and the women’s WTA 1000 concludes on October 11.
The tournament is a combined ATP 500 and WTA 1000 event featuring separate men’s and women’s schedules. Alexander Zverev is the men’s top seed, coming into Beijing fresh from winning his second US Open title, while Novak Djokovic returns to the city for the first time since 2015. Djokovic is a six-time Beijing champion and holds a 29-0 record at the venue. Reigning men’s champion Jannik Sinner of Italy will not participate.
Zverev opens his campaign against Great Britain’s Cameron Norrie, and Djokovic, the 39-year-old Serbian, begins against Portugal’s Nuno Borges. The draw places the pair on a course that could see them meet in the quarter-finals. Those match-ups frame the headline storylines on the men’s side as the tournament gets under way.
Second seed Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada faces Russia’s Karen Khachanov in the opening round, an immediate opportunity related to his recent US Open reverse. The bottom half of the men’s draw includes Daniil Medvedev, Jakub Mensik, Alexander Bublik, Alex de Minaur and Flavio Cobolli as notable entrants.
The women’s tournament is the second-to-last WTA 1000 event of the season and brings several players back after the US Open. Newly crowned World No. 1 Elena Rybakina is the top seed, Aryna Sabalenka is second and Coco Gauff is third. Mirra Andreeva, Linda Noskova, Elina Svitolina, Karolina Muchova and Iga Swiatek complete the top eight; reigning champion Amanda Anisimova will miss the event alongside Jessica Pegula, Marta Kostyuk and other withdrawals.
Broadcast arrangements vary by territory: Indian viewers can watch the WTA event on Tennis Channel and WTA TV, while FanCode and Tennis Channel will stream the men’s tournament, and the organisers have not announced an official broadcast partner for the tournament in India. In the United Kingdom the China Open will be shown live on Sky UK and Sky Sports, with streaming via the NOW platform and the Sky Sports app. In the United States the tournament will air on ESPN and Tennis Channel, with streaming available on ESPN+ and Fubo; viewers elsewhere can follow the event through their local broadcast partners.
Qualifying rounds are scheduled for September 28-29, with the main draws starting on September 30; the men’s ATP 500 will conclude on October 6 and the women’s WTA 1000 will finish on October 11.
