By JOSE PAOLO S. DELA CRUZ
After a four-year hiatus, Rolex Shanghai Masters 2023 marked the return of ATP Masters 1000 to China with an expanded 12-day tournament that featured the likes of top seed Carlos Alcaraz, fellow Rolex Testimonees Taylor Fritz, Holger Rune and Jannik Sinner, and eventual champion Hubert Hurkacz — as well as a guest appearance by beloved tennis great Roger Federer.
Held last October in time for China’s Golden Week celebrations, Rolex Shanghai Masters 2023 stayed true to its reputation as Asia’s most prestigious tennis tournament when it returned to the stunning Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena for the expanded two-week competition.
On top of the expanded 96-man singles draw that featured some of the world’s greatest players, including Rolex Testimonees Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Holger Rune and Taylor Fritz, the Shanghai Masters also refreshed the Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena by installing a number of new amenities such as an expanded locker area for the seeds. It also added 100 sq. m to the players’ private gym, which they use to train before marching on to the court. The USD 10-million investment for the 2023 edition of the Rolex Shanghai Masters also included an increase in manpower by 2,000 pax, to accommodate the longer event.
In the end, Polish tennis pro Hubert Hurkacz secured his second ATP Masters 1000 title at the tournament, after defeating Russia’s Andrey Rublev by one match-point, in a game that scored 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(8).
‘The arena that Federer built’
Exciting matches aside, Rolex Testimonee and Swiss legend Roger Federer also made a guest appearance near the end of the tournament. “Roger Federer is beloved. When we announced in May that he would be our ‘Icon Athlete,’ tickets sold out. So, as a promoter, someone who’s been involved with the tournament from the very beginning, It was amazing to see the pull and the interest with Roger,” said Michael Levano, tournament director of Rolex Shanghai Masters.
The title “Icon Athlete of the Shanghai Masters” was given to Federer in recognition of his contributions to tennis, as well as for his triumphs at the Rolex Shanghai Masters in 2014 and 2017.
Inarguably one of China’s favorite tennis pros, Federer has been with the Shanghai Masters since day one. “In 2005, we built this stadium, and opened it for the Tennis Masters Cup. Roger Federer came and cut the ribbon. He helped create what we are today and is passionate about it. He will be here for the next multiple years. Not only for Rolex, but certainly for the Rolex Shanghai Masters,” he added.
During his visit though, the well-loved tennis icon downplayed his role in popularizing tennis around the world. “I don’t know if it’s because of me, but it’s very traditional. We have known it for a very long time. And I feel like here in China especially, there could be so many more players and there could be so many more superstars coming out of China. I think the ladies have shown how to do it with Li Na and everybody. So I think it’s really now finally coming over to the men’s side as well,” he said.
The tennis champ, who has two Rolex Shanghai Masters cups to his name, also ended his talk by saying that tennis is “a great sport to play for everybody and I think for juniors, as well. Yes, it’s an individual sport and you learn a lot. Winning and losing is tough, but you are in a group training usually. I think it’s a wonderful sport, no body contact, it’s polite and got some class still. I think that’s why I’m always for people playing tennis.”
A rich and storied partnership
Rolex has a rich and storied association with Asia’s most prestigious tennis tournament, which dates back to 2009 when the event first came to Shanghai, before the Swiss watchmaker became Title Sponsor the following year. The brand has developed particularly strong ties with tennis in China, as exemplified by the 10-year extension of its position as the highest-level sponsor at the Rolex Shanghai Masters in February 2023.
Chronologically, it is the eighth of nine annual ATP Masters 1000 events that, aside from the four Grand Slam tournaments and the season-ending ATP Finals, are the most coveted titles on the ATP Tour.
The Shanghai leg of the series is famous for its enthusiastic crowds and lively atmosphere hosted in the Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena — one of the world’s most visually striking stadiums owing to a distinctive design inspired by a blooming magnolia, the official flower of Shanghai.
Rolex has a long-standing relationship with tennis that began at The Championships, Wimbledon, in 1978. In the ensuing 45 years, Rolex has enjoyed a special connection with a sport that has a global appeal and whose history continues to be written with new challenges, new stories and new champions.
