Not coming to China anymore? Alcaraz withdraws after winning in Japan

On the final day of September, the reigning men's singles world No.1 Alcaraz overcame second seed Fritz with a 6-4, 6-4 victory in the ATP 500 Tokyo final, securing his eighth championship this season and the 24th singles crown of his career.

Alcaraz’s path to the Tokyo title this year was far from smooth; he unexpectedly twisted his ankle in the first round, took a medical timeout for treatment, yet continued to compete and won the match. Contrary to external predictions of withdrawal, he kept winning consecutive matches and ultimately claimed the championship.

From ATP 500 Rotterdam, ATP 1000 Monte Carlo, ATP 1000 Rome, the French Open, ATP 500 Queen’s Club, ATP 1000 Cincinnati, the US Open, to finally Tokyo, all eight titles Alcaraz has won this season are high-level events, boosting his season win count to 66 matches with only 6 losses.

Behind these impressive numbers lies a demanding schedule and the physical toll of reaching the latter stages almost every tournament. Even for a young player, accumulated injuries are inevitable by season’s end. After winning in Tokyo, Alcaraz immediately announced his withdrawal from this week’s Shanghai Masters due to injury.

Clearly, many domestic fans feel quite disappointed. Of course, Alcaraz promptly recorded a video to apologize to Chinese fans. At the same time, he expressed dissatisfaction with the excessive mandatory tournaments on the professional tour, saying, "I strongly agree with Iga (Swiatek). There are too many compulsory events now, and too many rules forcing us to play. We are not even allowed to have our own choices."

Currently, ATP participation rules require players to compete in at least five 500-level tournaments per year, eight out of nine Masters 1000 events are mandatory, and Grand Slams plus the ATP Finals (for qualified players) are also compulsory.

Meanwhile, with the withdrawal of the original top seed Alcaraz from the Shanghai Masters, the men's singles draw has been adjusted accordingly. The 33rd seed Moutet replaced Alcaraz’s spot. The highest seed in the top half is the German third seed Zverev, with three local wildcards Wu Yibing, Shang Juncheng, and Bu Yunchaokete also placed in the top half.

Additionally, well-known players such as [7] Deminor, [8] Musetti, [9] Khachanov, [12] Auger-Aliassime, [15] Lehecka, [17] Menchik, as well as Tsitsipas and Medvedev, are also gathered in the top half. So, who do you think has the best chance to break through the top half and earn a spot in the Shanghai Masters final?(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Barbie)