There is plenty of news going on in the tennis world, with the Alcaraz’s, the Djokovic’s, the Medvedev’s and the Zverev’s dominating the headlines in more ways than one.
And as the calendar season comes to a close, the top players continue to battle it through in hopes of making it to Turin at the end of the year.
The race is still ongoing as there are five more slots left in the ATP Finals, with Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz already clinching the top three spots.
That is why the upcoming Shanghai Masters is an important one for the chasing pack, with the tournament being the penultimate Masters event before the final big title of the season.
Various storylines are in play, with withdrawals and wild cards for stars the centrepiece for this one, along with a certain Hall of Famer making a much-awaited return.
Novak Djokovic returns to Shanghai
Novak Djokovic—who last competed in the event back in 2019—is having one of his worst seasons in his long and illustrious career on tour. But all his setbacks were aptly rewarded when he finally won the one major title that’s been missing from his trophy cabinet, after he defeated Carlos Alcaraz in the Paris Olympics back in July.
Still, the 37-year-old has yet to win a title that counts for ATP points this year.
His best shot came at reaching the Wimbledon final, where he was waxed by Alcaraz in straight sets, whilst a US Open upset against Australia’s Alexei Popyrin followed suit after his Olympic triumph.
That is why Djokovic is currently on the outside looking in when it comes to the top eight spots, and winning in Shanghai would massively bolster his chances of qualifying in the year-end competition.
Alexander Zverev skips
“I do feel like we need to do something about it,” he said.
Zverev, who came close to winning his maiden Grand Slam after reaching the Roland Garros final in May, also revealed that he was diagnosed with pneumonia, citing that he’ll need additional time to recover in order to be back to his best.
“Unfortunately, I was diagnosed with pneumonia, which explains the physical difficulties I’ve had in recent months,” he said.
Zverev last appeared on tour at the Laver Cup, where he lost to USA’s Taylor Fritz—the same man who defeated him in the US Open and Wimbledon earlier this year.
Wawrinka, Nishikori given wild cards
SBOTOP tennis fans in Shanghai will have an opportunity to witness two huge names in the tournament, as former three-time major winner Stan Wawrinka and former world no. 4 and 2014 US Open finalist Kei Nishikori were given wild cards to play in the event.
According to Shanghai Masters 2024 updates, the two household names, along with China’s Buyunchaokete, were the first recipients of the wild card, with more to come along the way.
This will be Wawrinka’s 13th appearance in Shanghai, where he reached the quarter-final twice in his career, with both losses coming against Rafael Nadal—7-6, 6-1 (2013) and 6-2, 6-1 (2015).
‘Stan the Man’ was also involved in a blockbuster first round match-up against fellow three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray, back when the pair met in the French Open this year.
Meanwhile, Nishikori remains steadfast in reviving his career, and a decent outing in Shanghai (where he was a quarter-finalist and a semi-finalist once) will do him a world of good.
Although the Shanghai Masters 2024 odds are stacked against his favour, Nishikori isn’t one to quit.
In fact, he just grinded out a tough win over his 2014 US Open opponent Marin Cilic (6-4, 3-6, 6-3) in the first round of the Japan Open.
All the more impressive when you realise that he just beat a Marin Cilic, who even though is way past his best, recently won a title just a few days ago at the Hangzhou Open, whereas Nishikori has spent most of the year on the sidelines dealing with injuries.
“I think about it like every week but I’m convinced I can track the top 100,” he said before the match.
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