Shanghai Masters 2026: Ben Shelton & Qizhong Center Guide

A few days ago, my husband and friends and I

went to the **Rolex Shanghai Masters 2026** 🎾

My first time watching an overseas tennis match live! And an ATP1000 match at that!!!

A big thank you to Minisunshil for kicking off this amazing trip,

and now, let's dive into the fun-filled review.

The venue for the Shanghai Masters is,

held at the **Qizhong Tennis Center** in Shanghai, China.

(QIZHONG TENNIS CENTER)

▶️ Qizhong Tennis Center Address (for Gaode Map)

久事体育场馆旗忠网球中心

* If you can't copy and paste, leave a comment and I'll provide it again.

Regarding how to get to Qizhong Tennis Center,

we took a taxi (Didi) and got off nearby.

⬆️ Where to buy Shanghai Masters tickets (NOL Ticket) - Korean

⬆️ JUSS SPORTS Shanghai Masters Official Ticket Sales

- English and Chinese

The seats we wanted at JUSS SPORTS were

sold out, so we looked around and easily bought them through NOL Ticket 👍🏻

This is Gate 3,

and it seemed like only specific pass holders could enter here.

We got off the taxi a bit too early,

and on the way walking towards Gate 2, we saw

this **Rolex Shanghai Masters 2026 poster** 🎾

Unfortunately, Sinner, who is featured in the main photo, couldn't compete due to injury ㅠㅠ

Wow, we finally made it!!!

It was a day for the qualifying matches,

and since it was a weekday, there weren't too many people.

At the entrance, you first need to register your face for Face ID.

We mentioned that we would be visiting for two days, both today and tomorrow!

We had a Day ticket and arrived a little after 12 PM!

After registering your face and showing your passport,

your ticket and seating information appear when your face is recognized.

Here is the full map of Qizhong Tennis Center.

✔️ Right circular stadium: Center Court

✔️ Left rectangular stadium: Grandstand 2

The courts in between were match courts and practice courts.

I really hoped to see Alcaraz and Djokovic,

and not only did I get to see Alcaraz and Djokovic, but also matches with Ben Shelton and Zverev...

I managed to see everything! So lucky 🍀

They checked our bags upon entry,

but we could bring in water and snacks.

Entry complete with our registered Face ID!!!

The building you see in the picture is none other than Center Court.

Right now, the retractable roof is open,

but I noticed it closed the next day when there was a bit of rain.

​

Rolex Shanghai Masters

🎾 October 9, '26 DAY Session 🎾

⬆️ How to easily purchase Shanghai Rolex Masters tickets

☑️ Easy to purchase on this site.

⬆️ China Shanghai eSIM 20% discount purchase link

☑️ It's the cheapest and USIMSA is a trustworthy provider,

so we used this link for our purchase too.

☑️ We opted for 1GB per day,

but if you're big on Instagram, 2GB might be a better choice.

☑️ Since it's a 20% discount link,

even 2GB might be cheaper than buying 1GB through other sites.

Right across from Center Court, you'll find Rolex 🕰️

There's also a souvenir shop where you can buy Shanghai Masters-related merchandise,

but it was super crowded, so we had to wait in line to get in.

Center Court

And this, my friends, is Center Court!!!

Since it was a weekday afternoon and still the qualifying rounds, the cheapest seats (further back)

—the ones with the sky-blue chairs—were pretty empty.

The very first match we caught live was:

Ben Shelton vs. Daniel Altmaier

Wow, seeing Ben Shelton in person! 👀

The popular Ben Shelton!!! His physique is just incredible.

A serving genius...🎾

His serve speed and power are absolutely phenomenal.

A feast of aces!👍🏻

Since the sunlight was really strong during the day sessions,

I saw a lot of posts recommending the shaded areas.

It seems like the shaded areas are roughly sections 5 to 6.

Compared to '25, the Shanghai Masters in '26 was held about a week? Or ten days?

It felt like it was a bit later, which might be why it wasn't overly hot.

Perfect weather for watching tennis!🪽

(Most reviews for '25 mentioned it was too hot and sunny...)

On this day, I sat in section 5!

The viewing angle from section 5 is just like in the video above,

which was shot with zoom.

I booked A+ seats, which are the next closest after S seats,

and since the price per seat was 270 yuan, the A+ ticket price was

around ~$40 per person.

Now that I've been to Shanghai, next up, the Australian Open? Roland Garros?

I'm already looking forward to experiencing the next international tennis tournament live!🎾🤍

Ben Shelton changing his tennis outfit..!

His back muscles were incredible, and he changed clothes surprisingly often.

Watching on broadcast is fun,

but seeing it live is even better.

It felt like I could even hear the players' breaths.

The actions after a swing, or after scoring or losing a point –

there were so many parts that broadcasts just don't capture,

which made it so much more dynamic and exciting!!!

Watching while munching on snacks I brought was pure happiness~

The game ended with a victory for Ben Shelton!!!

To have Ben Shelton in the very first match, how excellent!👍🏻

I think it was Ben Shelton's birthday 🎂

But apparently, he got eliminated in the very next match ㅠㅠ

Shanghai is close enough that coming back next year to watch again wouldn't be a big hassle!

It seems like the quarterfinals are currently underway,

and I'm really curious if Zverev will be the champion!!!

So that concludes my review of the first match of Day 1's session at the Shanghai Masters 2026 live! Hehehehe.

I'm not sure when I'll get around to uploading the rest of the photos ㅜㅜ hahaha.

⬆️ Shanghai Rolex Masters Tennis tickets can be found here:

Making all my travel arrangements was a breeze with NOL!

⬆️ Atour Hotel Shanghai Xujiahui Wanty Stadium

Before hitting the stadium for the match, I got my tennis fix at the Shanghai Wilson Tennis Court. This hotel was perfectly situated, just a 7-minute walk from Wilson Tennis Court! Even better, it was only about a 40-50 minute taxi ride to the Qizhong Tennis Center, making it an ideal base for tennis lovers like me!

* Just a heads-up: there aren't many ideal hotels right near Qizhong Tennis Center, so this location worked out wonderfully.

⬆️ Trip.com, the most popular flight booking platform for travel to China

I've got a fantastic discount code for you: get 3% off (up to ~$9)!

3HAFLT3

​

To snag this deal, make sure to click the Trip.com link above!

Keep this Trip.com discount code handy for your next adventure!

⬆️ Your shortcut to staying connected: USIMSA China eSIM with a 20% discount!