China Open set to begin amid 17 reported women’s withdrawals

The 2026 China Open is scheduled to begin September 30 in Beijing, with the men’s ATP 500 event running through October 6 and the women’s WTA 1000 competition through October 11. A report dated September 28 counted 17 players withdrawn from the women’s field, including defending champion Amanda Anisimova, while a reader poll put Alex de Minaur ahead of Alexander Zverev in predictions for the men’s title. The tournament’s main draws are set to open Wednesday at the China National Tennis Center. The ATP and WTA competitions overlap, but have separate end dates. The schedule describes planned events; the available information does not establish that play has begun or that any matches have been completed. In a poll of 244 Tennishead readers, de Minaur received 85 votes, or 34.84 percent, to lead the men’s title predictions. Zverev was next with 27.87 percent. Novak Djokovic received 9.43 percent, while the remaining named players each received smaller shares. The poll records the preferences of its respondents, not the players’ prospects or a tournament result. De Minaur reached the China Open semifinals in 2025 before losing to eventual champion Jannik Sinner.