Alejandro Davidovich Fokina defeats Rafa Jódar in Shanghai

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina overcame a lopsided opening set to defeat fellow Spaniard Rafa Jódar 1-6, 7-6, 6-4 in the final of the Rolex Shanghai Masters, claiming his first career ATP Masters 1000 title and breaking a historic drought for Spanish tennis in China.

Conquering the Shanghai Masters Curse

Entering the week, the tournament in Shanghai held a frustrating distinction for Spanish tennis. No male player from Spain had ever lifted the singles trophy at the Qi Zhong Stadium. Four previous finals had slipped away from the nation’s competitors. Rafa Nadal fell to Nikolay Davydenko in 2009 and again to Roger Federer in 2017. David Ferrer dropped the 2011 title match to Andy Murray, and Roberto Bautista Agut lost to the British star in 2016. Davidovich Fokina erased that statistical blemish by staging a resilient comeback on Sunday, October 18, 2026, marking the first time a Spanish player has conquered the tournament. Never before had two national racquets reached the final in Shanghai. Davidovich and Jódar watched the historic final as exceptional witnesses, observing an encounter set up after Davidovich eliminated Zverev and Jódar secured a brilliant victory against Medvedev.

A Dominant Start by Jódar

The championship match began with a blistering display from Jódar, who electrified the crowd early. Playing in his maiden Masters 1000 final, the Madrid native dictated play from the baseline and broke Davidovich Fokina’s serve multiple times to race through the opening set 6-1 in 27 minutes. Jódar appeared untouchable as his opponent struggled to find rhythm, committing early errors under intense pressure. Already from the very first point of the final—an exchange of more than twenty strokes—the match set its intense tone. Jódar, the youngest player to reach the Shanghai final, quickly forged a 3-0 lead that illustrated the gap between the two finalists, leaving Alejandro searching desperately for answers alongside his coach, Pepo Clavet, after just half an hour of play.

The Turning Point in the Tiebreak

The narrative flipped in the second set as Davidovich Fokina steadied his game and began absorbing Jódar’s powerful groundstrokes. After trading service breaks, the set marched into a tense tiebreak. Davidovich Fokina clinched the crucial points to seal the tiebreak 7-5, forcing a decisive third set. As physical fatigue began to catch up with Jódar—who battled visible cramping and movement issues in the closing stages—the malagueño capitalized on his momentum, breaking early in the decider to build a 4-2 and eventually 5-3 lead.

Historic Ranking Surge and Season Milestones

Holding serve in a clean final game, Davidovich Fokina completed the three-set turnaround to capture the biggest trophy of his professional career. The victory yields an immediate reward in the ATP rankings, lifting him to a career-high World No. 13 (or No. 14 had he finished as runner-up). It marks his third title of the 2026 season, following previous tournament wins in Mallorca and Chengdu, placing him among the players who have won three titles or more on the circuit this year. Meanwhile, Jódar departs Shanghai with a breakthrough finalist appearance that cements his rising status on the global stage, having arrived at the title match with the prospect of exiting as a top 10 player.