The 2026 Guangzhou Nansha International Tennis Challenger has officially released its player entry list, setting the stage for competition from Oct. 18 to Oct. 25 at the Nansha International Tennis Center. The tournament field features a prominent contingent of Chinese mainland stars alongside international competitors with career-best rankings inside the top 100.
China’s Leading Men Return to Nansha
Wu Yibing, Zhang Zhizhen, and Shang Juncheng lead the domestic entries for the upcoming hard-court event. The trio holds the distinction of being the only players from the Chinese mainland to reach the third round of a Grand Slam, advance to an ATP Tour singles final, and break into the top 100 of the ATP rankings.
Shang previously competed at the Nansha tournament in 2023. While Zhang and Wu are scheduled to make their main-draw debuts at this specific Challenger event, neither player is unfamiliar with the venue. Earlier this February, all three players represented China at the Nansha International Tennis Center during the Davis Cup World Group I playoffs, where Wu and Zhang secured decisive wins to help defeat Portugal.
Coleman Wong Leads the International Field
His 2025 season included capturing his maiden ATP Challenger singles title and reaching his first ATP Tour semifinal.
The defending champion at the venue is Lithuanian player Rytis Skulskytė, who swept the singles and doubles titles in 2024 as the tournament’s first dual-crown winner. He returned in 2025 as defending champion, reaching the singles final. Skulskytė will compete at the Guangzhou Nansha event for the third year.
Tomic and O'Connell Join the Acceptance List
Two Australian players with previous top-100 experience are included in the acceptance list: Bernard Tomic and Christopher O’Connell. Tomic, whose career-high ranking reached No. 17, broke into the Wimbledon quarterfinals as an 18-year-old in 2011 and reached the fourth round at other major championships multiple times. He enters Nansha following a season that included an ATP Tour quarterfinal appearance.
O’Connell returns to Nansha for the first time since 2023, when he competed as the tournament’s top seed and advanced to the quarterfinals.
Organizers Lock Final Entry List on Oct. 16
The alternate list includes Chinese players Zhou Yi and Sun Fajing, alongside Cruz Hewitt, the son of former world No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt. Tournament organizers stated that the final official player entry list will be locked in on Oct. 16 ahead of the opening matches on Oct. 18.
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