On October 18, 2026, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina captured his first ATP Masters 1000 title at the Shanghai Masters. The win marked a career‑defining moment for the Spanish player, who had waited 49 main‑draw appearances to lift a trophy at this level.
Fokina opened the final against Rafael Jodar by dropping the first set 1‑6. He responded by winning the second set in a tiebreak, 7‑6(5), and then sealed the match with a 6‑4 victory in the third set. The comeback from a set down highlighted his resilience on the biggest stage.
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina triumphs in Shanghai for biggest career title #RolexShanghaiMasters #atptour https://t.co/ruIrUfejKc
The final unfolded with a stark first‑set loss, a tightly contested second‑set tiebreak, and a decisive third set. The scores were recorded as 1‑6 in the opening set, 7‑6(5) in the second, and 6‑4 in the deciding set, giving Fokina the match in three sets after losing the first.
It also added his name to the list of Spaniards who have claimed an ATP Masters 1000 title, making him the 16th from his nation to achieve that milestone.
Before the final, Fokina had to navigate past the tournament’s top seed, Alexander Zverev, in the semi‑finals. Beating Zverev set up the title clash with Jodar and proved that Fokina could handle the draw’s highest‑ranked opponent.
The Shanghai triumph made Fokina the first Spanish player ever to win the Shanghai Masters. It also added his name to the list of Spaniards who have claimed an ATP Masters 1000 title, making him the 16th from his nation to achieve that milestone.
Prior to Shanghai, Fokina had contested 49 main‑draw matches at ATP Masters 1000 events without winning a title. The victory in China therefore represented the culmination of nearly fifty attempts to break through at the sport’s premier tier below the Grand Slams.
Before 2026, Fokina had lost his first five ATP Tour finals. The Shanghai win gave him his third title of the season and lifted his world ranking to 13th, a career‑high that reflected his rapid ascent.
After the match, Fokina credited his friend Arthur Fils, who had also battled a back injury, for providing motivation during his own difficult year. He thanked his team for standing by him while he dealt with a back problem that had hampered his earlier season.
In his post‑match remarks, Fokina congratulated Rafael Jodar, noting the 20‑year‑old’s bright future and praising him as both a great player and a great person. He highlighted Jodar’s achievements in his first full tour season and expressed confidence that they would meet again many times.