2024 China Open Men's Singles Draw: Sinner Leads the Field; Zhizhen Zhang Faces Tough Opponent; Juncheng Shang and BuYunchaokete meets in the first round

Beijing China, September 24th, 2024 - the draw ceremony for the men's singles of the 2024 China Open took place at the Red Clay Garden, with defending champion and world No. 1 Jannik Sinner in attendance. He shares the top half of the draw with fellow seeds Andrey Rublev, Grigor Dimitrov, and Lorenzo Musetti, while the bottom half features Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, Karen Khachanov, and Alexander Bublik. Chinese players Juncheng Shang and BuYunchaokete will face each other in the first round, alongside Zhizhen Zhang in the top half, while Yi Zhou stands alone in the bottom half of the draw.

Shang and Bu achieved significant milestones this week, with Shang becoming the first player born in 2005 or later to win an ATP tour title in Chengdu and Bu advancing to the semifinals in Hangzhou. Their derby in the first round will guarantee a Chinese player a victory at the China Open. If Shang wins, he will probably face Musetti in the second round, which will repeat their Chengdu final. Zhizhen Zhang starts against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, and if successful, he will take on the challenge from No.4 seed Andrey Rublev in the second round. Yi Zhou, who recently won his first tour-level match in Chengdu, will meet Hungarian player Fabian Marozsan in his opener.

Defending champion Jannik Sinner is set to play Chilean Nicolas Jarry, who reached the quarterfinals of the China Open last year. In the second round, Sinner will face the winner between three-time Grand Slam champion Stanislas Wawrinka and German Jan-Lennard Struff. The quarterfinals may bring a showdown against fifth seed Dimitrov, and a potential semifinal against Rublev looms large. From Cincinnati to the US Open, Sinner holds an 11-match winning streak, having not lost since the quarterfinals in Montreal to Rublev.

No.2 seed Carlos Alcaraz and No.3 seed Medvedev landed in the bottom half of the draw, raising expectations about a potential semifinal meeting. Alcaraz will meet big-serving Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the opening round, known for topping the serve quality in the ATP ranking this year, posing a challenge for the Spaniard. If he progresses, Alcaraz will meet either Miomir Kecmanovic or Tallon Griekspoor in the second round, with a potential quarterfinal against Karen Khachanov or Francisco Cerundolo from Argentina. 

Medvedev begins a tough first-round opponent in former top-10 player Gael Monfils, making this one of the notable matchups alongside the Chinese derby. In the second round, he will meet the winner between Frenchman Adrian Mannarino and Italian Lorenzo Sonego. The potential quarter-final opponent remains uncertain for Medvedev, as No.8 seed Alexander Bublik was mediocre recently, losing to Shang in both the US Open and Chengdu. Therefore, Flavio Cobolli and Fabian Marozsan all have the chance to break through.

Last year, Sinner captured the title by defeating both Alcaraz and Medvedev. Fans are eager to see how many thrilling matches the three can deliver this year. Can the Chinese players make achievements on home soil? Stay tuned!