Djokovic and Zverev to Headline China Open 2026 in Beijing; Main Draw Sept 30-Oct 6
Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev will headline the China Open 2026 in Beijing, with the tournament’s main draw scheduled from September 30 to October 6. Djokovic returns to the event for the first time since 2015 while Zverev enters as the top seed.
Djokovic arrives in Beijing as a six-time champion who holds a 29-0 record at the tournament; his run in the Chinese capital stretched from a 2009 debut to a sixth title in 2015. "👑Welcome back to the China Open, our six-time champion @DjokerNole!From his 2009 debut to claiming his 6th title in 2015, Djokovic has become the most successful player in the tournament's history.Eleven years later, he’s back. A new chapter awaits❤️#ChinaOpen pic.twitter.com/1ze4VOgGF2"
On the men’s side, defending champion and two-time Beijing winner Jannik Sinner will not defend his title at the 2026 China Open; he has been sidelined with a knee injury since defending his Wimbledon title in July and missed the entire North American hard-court swing. Alexander Zverev, described in the entry information as a newly minted two-time Grand Slam champion, is a three-time semi-finalist in Beijing and leads the men’s field as top seed.
Elena Rybakina is listed as the leading player in the WTA 1000 women’s singles draw and will make her first appearance at this level since winning the US Open. She is joined among the top three seeds by Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff, and all four US Open semifinalists except Jessica Pegula are set to make their first tour appearances since their runs in New York.
Several notable absences affect the women’s draw: Jessica Pegula, identified as the WTA No. 3, will not play in Beijing, and defending champion Amanda Anisimova, listed as World No. 11, withdrew because of a wrist injury; Pegula withdrew with an unspecified injury. The women’s singles entry also includes three former China Open champions — Coco Gauff (2024), Iga Swiatek (2023) and Naomi Osaka (2019).
Coco Gauff’s recent Beijing form is highlighted in the entry notes: she has reached the last four in each of the past three editions, a sequence that includes her 2024 title run. No Indian player is entered to compete for the singles trophy at the 2026 China Open.
The 2026 China Open will be staged at the Beijing Olympic Green Tennis Centre. Indian viewers can watch matches live on FanCode and WTA TV; coverage in the United States will be on Tennis Channel, while BBC and Sky Sports will carry the event in the United Kingdom.
For further updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram or download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join their community on Whatsapp & Telegram; the main draw of the China Open begins on September 30 and concludes on October 6.
