Mark Allen Missing From Shanghai Masters Draw For Second Year Running As Lisowski Steps In
Allen Absent Again From Elite Non-Ranking Field
World number 12 Mark Allen will not feature in the 2026 Shanghai Masters, marking the second consecutive year in which the Northern Irishman has been absent from the invitational field despite holding a top-16 ranking. The lineup for this year's edition has been largely confirmed by the World Snooker Tour, with Allen the only player inside the world's top 16 not set to participate.
As has been the format since the Shanghai Masters transitioned to an invitational competition in 2018, the top 16 players on the world rankings earn automatic places in the draw. That pool is supplemented by the four highest-ranked Chinese professionals on the main tour, along with four amateur wildcard spots. Allen's absence creates the same vacancy it did 12 months ago, when world number 17 Jack Lisowski steps forward as his replacement — mirroring the situation in 2025, when Ali Carter took Allen's spot and went on a remarkable run to the final before narrowly losing to Kyren Wilson.
Allen had endured a difficult end to his 2025/26 season, suffering a heartbreaking 17-16 defeat to Shaun Murphy in the World Championship semi-finals at the Crucible — a result that will have made his subsequent absence from Shanghai all the more difficult to process. His reasons for withdrawing have not been publicly disclosed.
Lisowski Faces Zhang Anda In Opening Round
Lisowski, ranked 17th in the world, has been confirmed as facing Zhang Anda in the opening round of the 24-player draw. Whether the Londoner can replicate Carter's spirited run from a year ago remains to be seen, but the opportunity to compete at one of snooker's most prestigious non-ranking events will not be lost on him.
The top eight seeds enter at the last-16 stage, meaning Lisowski and Zhang must first navigate the round of 24. Defending champion Wilson is among those who receive a bye into the last 16, and he awaits the winner of a high-profile round-of-24 tie between Ronnie O'Sullivan and one of the amateur wildcards. O'Sullivan arrives in Shanghai as the event's most decorated competitor — a record five-time champion, having claimed the title twice when the tournament held ranking status and a further three times under its current invitational format.
Wu Yize Begins Title Defence Season In All-Chinese Tie
Newly crowned world champion Wu Yize opens his 2026/27 campaign with an all-Chinese encounter, set to face either Si Jiahui or Pang Junxu in the opening round. This will be Wu's third appearance at the Shanghai Masters but his first as a seeded player — a detail that neatly encapsulates the speed of his ascent through the professional game over the past 12 months.
Should Wu progress through his opening match, a potential quarter-final rematch with Shaun Murphy — who defeated him in the Crucible final — could materialise. Murphy, however, faces a stern test of his own at the first hurdle, with either Mark Selby or Zhou Yuelong standing between him and a place in the last 16.
Trump, Robertson and Zhao Xintong Also In Action
World number one Judd Trump opens against the winner of the match between Barry Hawkins and Lei Peifan, while Neil Robertson awaits the survivor of the tie between Xiao Guodong and one of the as-yet-unnamed wildcards. Zhao Xintong, who appears to be closing in on the world number two ranking following his sustained rise since returning to the tour, is also among the confirmed entries.
The Shanghai Masters remains one of snooker's most anticipated non-ranking occasions, and the 2026 edition carries considerable intrigue. A new world champion in Wu Yize, a potential O'Sullivan-Wilson quarter-final, and the possibility of Murphy encountering Wu again in the last eight all give the draw a compelling shape. For Allen, it will be another fortnight spent watching from afar — but with his top-16 status intact, he will have ample opportunity to make his mark elsewhere as the new season progresses.
