Valentin Royer beat Adam Walton 6–3, 6–4 in the Hangzhou opening round on September 23, 2026. He was returning to the tournament where he reached his first tour-level final the previous season.
In 2025, Royer came through qualifying before advancing to the final. That run included wins against Andrey Rublev and Learner Tien, both described by the tournament as Top-25 opponents at the time.
His straight-sets opening win in 2026 put him into a second-round meeting with top seed Daniil Medvedev. The tournament’s September 23 report also identified Rublev as the second seed.
Another French player, Kyrian Jacquet, beat Aleksandar Vukic 7–6(5), 3–6, 6–3 that day. Royer needed two sets and Jacquet three as both defeated Australian opponents on the opening day.
