Forget The Score – This Is All About Star Power

The highly anticipated celebrity doubles exhibition game with Roger Federer will take place on Center Court at Qizhong Tennis Center on October 16 after the Rolex Shanghai Masters tournament matches.

This year's lineup includes Li Na, China's first Grand Slam singles champion, and long-absent Russian siblings Marat Safin and Dinara Safina.

Roger Federer

Roger Federer is still considered one of the greatest tennis players, with a huge fan base in Shanghai and across China. Over a 24-year career, he won 103 tour-level singles titles, including 20 Grand Slam titles, and spent 310 weeks at world No. 1.

His five consecutive US Open titles (2004-2008) and five consecutive Wimbledon titles (2003-2007) are among the sport's most dominant stretches. He retired in September 2022 and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame this year.

The Swiss has a strong bond with Shanghai. He first came to the city in 2002 for the Tennis Masters Cup and then returned in 2005 for the opening of the Qizhong Tennis Center. He won the Rolex Shanghai Masters twice – in 2014 by defeating Gilles Simon and in 2017 after overcoming Rafael Nadal – compiling a 23-6 record at the event.

After retirement, he returned to Shanghai in 2023 as the tournament's "Super Friend," hosting celebrity and sports exhibition matches.

Li Na

Li Na, one of the most accomplished Asian tennis players, became the first Asian player to win a Grand Slam singles title at the 2011 French Open by defeating four top-10 opponents. She won her second major at the 2014 Australian Open and reached a career-high world No. 2 in February 2014.

Her 2011 French Open final drew well over 110 million viewers in China, and interest in tennis grew rapidly in the country as her career took off.

Li retired in September 2014 at age 32, ending a 15-year professional career during which she repeatedly struggled with knee injuries. Beyond public appearances for tennis and brand promotions, Li has dedicated herself to building a tennis academy in Hubei Province, her hometown.

Li appeared alongside Federer in 2023 during the Rolex Shanghai Masters and took part in the Swiss' inaugural doubles exhibition match. Chinese player Zhang Zhizhen also joined them that year.

Marat Safin

Marat Safin was one of the most gifted and charismatic players of his generation. The Russian won two Grand Slam singles titles – the 2000 US Open and the 2005 Australian Open – and held the world No. 1 ranking for the first time in November 2000. He was also a key member of Russia's Davis Cup teams and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2016.

Persistent knee and wrist injuries cut his career short, leading to his retirement in 2009 at the age of 29.

Safin made his final tournament appearance in China as a wild card at the 2009 Shanghai Masters, losing to Tomáš Berdych in the second round. The tournament held an emotional on-court farewell ceremony for him as he departed with a smile.

He had previously competed in Shanghai at the 2002 Masters Cup but had struggled with form and injuries there.

Dinara Safina

The younger sister of Marat Safin became world No. 1 on April 20, 2009, and held the ranking for 26 weeks. Dinara Safina was a three-time Grand Slam singles runner-up (2008 French Open, 2009 Australian Open, and 2009 French Open) and won 12 WTA singles titles.

She also won a silver medal in singles at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and captured the 2007 US Open doubles title with Nathalie Dechy. Chronic back injuries forced her into an extended absence beginning in 2010. She officially retired in 2014.

Safina's last professional appearance in Shanghai dates back to the 2003 Shanghai Open, a WTA Tier II event.

At just 17 years old, she entered the main draw as an unseeded player in the 2003 tournament. Her run ended in the quarterfinals against Japan's Ai Sugiyama, the tournament's third seed.