Warrior: Davidovich Fokina fights back from a set and a break down to beat Jodar for first Masters 1000 title in Shanghai
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (No. 25) came back from a set and a break down to beat Rafael Jodar (No. 12) 1-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 on Sunday and win the Rolex Shanghai Masters, his first Masters 1000 title. The Spaniard, who lost his first five career finals and sobbed after the last of them in Washington, has now won all three he has played this season.
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Shanghai 2026 | © AP Photo/Andy Wong/SIPA
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina completed his redemption on Sunday, the Spanish No. 25 seed recovering from a set and a break down to beat compatriot Rafael Jodar, the No. 12 seed, 1-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 in the final of the Shanghai Masters 1000 and claim the first Masters 1000 title of his career.
Ranked No. 26, he became the 16th different Spaniard to win a Masters 1000 title and the first Spanish champion in Shanghai, where Rafael Nadal, David Ferrer and Roberto Bautista Agut had all lost in the final.
It was his third comeback win of the week, after rallying past Pole Hubert Hurkacz 1-6, 6-3, 7-6 (6) in the fourth round and German top seed Alexander Zverev 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 in the semifinals. He became the fourth player to win a maiden Masters 1000 title with comeback wins in both the semifinal and the final. The other three are American Michael Chang in Toronto in 1990, Swede Thomas Johansson in Montreal in 1999 and Russian Andrey Rublev in Monte-Carlo in 2023.
Davidovich Fokina’s run at the Rolex Shanghai Masters began with a 6-1, 6-3 win over American Jenson Brooksby, before he saved a match point to beat American No. 7 seed Frances Tiafoe 7-6 (4), 4-6, 7-6 (6). He reached the semifinals when Frenchman Arthur Gea retired trailing 4-1.
From five lost finals to a perfect 2026
The title capped a complete reversal in finals. Davidovich Fokina lost the first five of his career, at Monte-Carlo in 2022 and at Delray Beach, Acapulco, Washington and Basel in 2025. In Washington, he sobbed inconsolably after squandering three championship points against Australian Alex de Minaur, a player left wondering whether he would ever win a title.
Tennis has since offered him redemption. He is now three for three in finals this season, after titles in Mallorca and Chengdu. He became the fifth man to win at least three titles in 2026, and he extended his winning run in China to 10 matches. His win also sealed American Ben Shelton’s place at the Nitto ATP Finals for the second straight season.
How Jodar’s legs gave way in the Shanghai final
Jodar dominated the opening set, breaking in the second and sixth games and taking it 6-1 on his first set point. When he broke again for 3-2 in the second set, he led by a set and a break.
Davidovich Fokina broke straight back, and the set turned into a battle of long deuce games. The Spaniard saved five break points across three service games from 3-3. In the tiebreak, Jodar led 4-3 before Davidovich Fokina won a point on his serve at 5-5 and converted his first set point to level the match.
The decider opened with a break each, Davidovich Fokina converting his third break point of the first game and Jodar his fourth of the second. Davidovich Fokina broke again for 3-2 at the first opportunity, did not face another break point and served out the match on his second match point.
Jodar showed signs of tiredness as the match went on, after a campaign full of three-set matches. He had come from a set down in four of his five matches and spent 11 hours and 20 minutes on court before the final, against 8 hours and 28 minutes for his opponent. He also twisted his ankle at the very end.
The 20-year-old, ranked No. 13, will still rise to a career-high No. 11 on Monday after becoming the first man born in 2006 to reach a Masters 1000 final. But defeat cost him a top 10 debut, the title of youngest champion in the tournament’s history, and an important chance to join the race for Turin.
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, Norwegian No. 20 seed Casper Ruud 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 and Russian No. 5 seed Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 6-4.
