Jodar, 20, sweeps past Medvedev into first Masters 1000 final to set up all-Spanish showdown in Shanghai
Rafael Jodar (No. 12) beat Daniil Medvedev (No. 5) 6-3, 6-4 on Saturday to reach his first Masters 1000 final at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, the youngest finalist in the event’s history. The 20-year-old Spaniard, ranked No. 168 at the start of the season, will face Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the first all-Spanish Masters 1000 final on hard courts.
Rafael Jodar, Shanghai 2026 | © Andy Wong (AP/SIPA)
Shanghai had been set up for a rematch of its 2019 final, in which Daniil Medvedev beat Alexander Zverev 6-4, 6-1, but it will get a fresh all-Spanish one instead. Rafael Jodar reached the first Masters 1000 final of his career on Saturday afternoon, the 20-year-old Spaniard beating Russian No. 5 seed Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 6-4 to set up an all-Spanish title match at the Shanghai Masters 1000.
The No. 12 seed will face compatriot Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, the No. 25 seed, in the ninth all-Spanish Masters 1000 final since the series began in 1990. It will be the first since 2017 Monte-Carlo (Rafael Nadal beating Albert Ramos-Vinolas) and the first on hard courts.
Jodar became the first man born in 2006 to reach a Masters 1000 final and the youngest finalist in the tournament’s history. Ranked No. 13, he will rise to a career-high No. 11 on Monday, passing Novak Djokovic, after starting the season at No. 168.
The win was the biggest of his career, over the World No. 6, and his 20th at Masters 1000 level this season. He became the second-youngest man to reach that mark after Rafael Nadal at 19 in 2005, and he joins Marat Safin, Lleyton Hewitt, Nadal, Djokovic, Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz as the only players to win 20 Masters 1000 matches in a season by the year they turned 20.
Jodar finds his finishing touch against Medvedev
The tone was set from the very first game, which lasted 13 minutes, as Jodar held through a long run of deuces without facing a break point. He broke for 3-1, was pegged back after saving three break points in the next game, and broke again straight away for 4-2. He then saved a break point at 5-2 and needed five set points to close out the set.
Jodar broke Medvedev to open the second set, gave the break back at 2-2 and broke again for 4-3. Medvedev saved three match points while serving at 3-5, but Jodar served out the match to love.
After coming from a set down in each of his four previous matches, Jodar won in straight sets for the first time this week. He had beaten Argentinian Thiago Agustin Tirante 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, Czech No. 22 seed Jiri Lehecka 4-6, 7-6 (2), 6-4, Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-2 and Norwegian No. 20 seed Casper Ruud 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.
It will be his third ATP final, after winning his first title in Marrakech and reaching the final in Washington earlier this season.
Medvedev, the 2019 champion and ranked No. 6, saw his record in China this year drop to 11-2 after his Hangzhou title and Beijing semifinal. He had beaten German Jan-Lennard Struff 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, Czech qualifier Dalibor Svrcina 6-2, 6-3, Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 7-5 and American No. 15 seed Tommy Paul 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.
