Rybakina and Zverev face tricky paths as China Open draws revealed

The draws for the 2026 China Open were made on Monday afternoon at the National Tennis Center in Beijing. ATP star Shang Juncheng and US Open girl's champion Sun Xinran were on hand to assist in the draw ceremonies for the joint WTA 1000/ATP 500 event, which begins on Wednesday, September 30. 

Full Draw: Men | Women 

US Open champion Alexander Zverev and Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime are the top two seeds in the ATP 500 tournament, which features a 32-player singles draw. World No. 2 Zverev will open his tournament against Great Britain's Cameron Norrie in the first round, while No. 5 Auger-Aliassime faces a tough opener against US Open semifinalist Karen Khachanov.  

Zverev's quarter of the draw is littered with potential spoilers. Six-time champion Novak Djokovic looms as a potential quarterfinal opponent. The 39-year-old Serb has never lost a match at the China Open and his making his first appearance in 11 years. Djokovic will play Portugal's Nuno Borges in the first round, with the winning of either Juan Martin Cerundolo or Chinese wildcard Bu Yunchaokete in the second round. 

No. 3 seed and 2023 finalist Daniil Medvedev and No. 8 seed Jakub Mensik anchor the second quarter. The 21-year-old Czech faces the mercurial Alexander Bublik in an enticing first-round duel.

The bottom half of the draw is anchored by Auger-Aliassime, No. 4 seed Flavio Cobolli, No. 5 seed Alex De Minaur and No. 7 seed Learner Tien, who was a finalist last year. The bottom half features an exciting showdown between unseeded Andrey Rublev and The Netherlands' Tallon Griekspoor. 

US Open champion Elena Rybakina leads the blockbuster women's draw, as she readies to play her first tournament as the WTA's new World No. 1. The 96-player singles draw features eight of the Top 10 and all three reigning Grand Slam champions. The Top 32 seeds receive first-round byes. 

Rybakina leads the top half of the draw along with No. 3 seed and 2024 champion Coco Gauff, No. 6 Elina Svitolina, and No. 8 and 2023 champion Iga Swiatek. With the Pole chasing a qualifying spot at the year-end WTA Finals, she could face Gauff in a pivotal quarterfinal clash. 

Also looming in the top half are China's Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, who will open against a qualifier, and a veteran showdown between Australia's Daria Kasatkina and Spain' Paula Badosa. 

No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka leads the bottom half of the draw, along with Roland Garros champion Mirra Andreeva, Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova, and Wimbledon runner-up Karolina Muchova. 2019 champion and former No. 1 Naomi Osaka, seeded No. 12 this year, landed in Sabalenka's quarter of the draw. 

Men's and women's qualifying kicked off on Monday at the National Tennis Center and continues through Tuesday.