Mark Allen isn’t in the Shanghai Masters draw for the second successive season, with the lineup for the 2026 edition mostly confirmed by the World Snooker Tour.
As has been the case since the tournament transitioned to an invitational in 2018, the top 16 players from the world rankings earn spots in the competition.
They are joined by the next four highest-ranked Chinese competitors on the professional main tour, with an additional four places made available to amateur wildcards.
Among the elite 16, only world number 12 Allen is not in the field this year.
The Northern Irishman, who suffered a heartbreaking 17-16 defeat in the World Championship semi-finals last month, didn’t take part in last year’s Shanghai Masters tournament either.
Allen was replaced in 2025 by Ali Carter, who almost seized full advantage of his unexpected opportunity by going all the way to the final only to be just edged out to glory by Kyren Wilson.
In 2026, world number 17 Jack Lisowski will be hoping to orchestrate a similar run as he accepts the chance to participate in one of the calendar’s most prestigious non-ranking events.
Lisowski will face Zhang Anda in the opening round after the outlook for the 2026 Shanghai Masters draw was revealed a few days ago.
The top eight seeds enter the fray in the last 16 with reigning champion Wilson awaiting the winner of the round-of-24 tie between O’Sullivan and one of the wildcards.
The Rocket is a record five-time Shanghai Masters champion – twice when it was previously staged as a ranking event and three times under its current guise.
World champion Wu Yize, meanwhile, will begin his 2026/27 season with an all-Chinese affair against either Si Jiahui or Pang Junxu.
This will be Wu’s third appearance in the tournament but his first as a seed, underlining his meteoric rise in the game over the last year or so.
If he comes through his initial test, a fascinating repeat of the Crucible final against Shaun Murphy could be in store in the last eight.
Murphy, however, will face a daunting opening challenge against either Mark Selby or Zhou Yuelong.
Elsewhere, world number one Judd Trump will meet either Barry Hawkins or Lei Peifan while Neil Robertson awaits the winner of the match between Xiao Guodong and one of the unnamed wildcards.
Zhao Xintong, who looks destined to become world number one at some stage this season, could meet Chinese legend Ding Junhui.
John Higgins and Mark Williams are the other top eight seeds in the field.
The 2026 Shanghai Masters is scheduled for July 27 to August 2, and more details on the tournament will be available here closer to the main event.
2026 Shanghai Masters Draw
Round of 24
Ronnie O’Sullivan vs Wildcard TBC
Chris Wakelin vs Wildcard TBC
Ding Junhui vs Wildcard TBC
Xiao Guodong vs Wildcard TBC
Barry Hawkins vs Lei Peifan
Jack Lisowski vs Zhang Anda
Mark Selby vs Zhou Yuelong
Si Jiahui vs Pang Junxu
Round of 16
Kyren Wilson (1) vs O’Sullivan/Wildcard
Mark Williams (8) vs Wakelin/Wildcard
Zhao Xintong (5) vs Ding/Wildcard
Neil Robertson (4) vs Xiao/Wildcard
Judd Trump (3) vs Hawkins/Lei
John Higgins (6) vs Lisowski/Zhang
Shaun Murphy (7) vs Selby/Zhou
Wu Yize (2) vs Si/Pang
Featured photo credit: WST
