Tomic Ends Seven-Year Wait for Masters 1000 Return in Shanghai

The comeback trail of Bernard Tomic has reached its most significant milestone in years. The 33-year-old Australian beat Timofey Skatov 7-5, 6-4 in the final round of Shanghai Masters qualifying on Tuesday, earning a place in an ATP Masters 1000 main draw for the first time since 2016.

Tomic's route through the qualifiers was anything but smooth. He needed three sets to get past Térence Atmane on Monday, with the Frenchman retiring ill at 3-6, 6-3, 4-5 down. He looked far more assured on Tuesday, sweeping past Skatov in straight sets to claim one of the 12 qualifying spots in the official draw.

Ranked world No. 185 after years grinding on the Challenger circuit, the former world No. 17 has rebuilt his game in 2026, compiling a 27-16 record on hard courts and winning a Challenger title in July. He has been handed a winnable opener against world No. 38 Matteo Arnaldi on Wednesday, with the winner advancing to face 11th seed Taylor Fritz in round two.

It is a remarkable turnaround for a player who was winning qualifying matches at the Australian Open back in January. Tomic's Shanghai return marks his first appearance in this event's main draw in a decade — proof that the long road back can still lead somewhere.