Stefanos Tsitsipas advanced to the second round of the Shanghai Masters by defeating qualifier Kimmer Coppejans 6-3, 7-5 in their first-round match on Thursday. The victory marks another step in Tsitsipas’s gradual return to form on the ATP Tour after a challenging season.

Once ranked as high as No. 3 in 2021, Tsitsipas has worked his way back up the rankings following a mid-year low of No. 87. The two-time Grand Slam finalist recently exited the US Open in the fourth round, losing to eventual finalist Ben Shelton. Prior to that, he successfully qualified for the main draw of the Japan Open, advancing past two qualifying rounds before falling in the second round.

Also competing in Shanghai is Australian qualifier Bernard Tomic, who was scheduled to face Matteo Arnaldi in a later first-round match. Now 33, Tomic has battled notable struggles both on and off the court over recent years. His ranking plummeted as low as 825 four years ago, but he has staged a resurgence to reach the main draw of an ATP 1000 event for the first time in seven years. Tomic secured his spot by defeating Kazakhstan’s Timofey Skatov 7-5, 6-4 in the qualifying final. Currently ranked 185, he has claimed 19 victories in his last 26 matches. Tomic has indicated that 2026 will likely be his final season on the professional circuit.

The Shanghai Masters features several top-ranked players, although many received first-round byes. US Open champion Alexander Zverev and world No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz are among those who will begin play later in the tournament. However, world No. 1 Jannik Sinner withdrew earlier in the week due to a right knee injury and announced he would sit out the remainder of the season.