Shanghai Masters 2026 final: Davidovich Fokina beats Jodar 1-6, 7-6, 6-4 for his first Masters title

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina won the Shanghai Masters 2026 on Sunday 18 October, beating fellow Spaniard Rafael Jodar 1-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 in the final for the first ATP 1000 title of his career, AFP reported via Business Recorder. The 27-year-old, ranked 26th in the world, was a set down and needed two championship points to close it out.

"I don't know what to say. I don't know what I feel. Just like a huge relief," Davidovich Fokina said after the match.

How the Shanghai Masters final turned

Jodar, 20 and ranked 13th, had the better of the opening set. He broke early, moved Davidovich Fokina around the court and closed the set with an ace in 27 minutes.

The second set went with serve to a tiebreak, which Davidovich Fokina took 7-5 after the younger man's level dipped. From there the older Spaniard had the momentum: he broke Jodar in the first game of the deciding set and held on.

Jodar's body was the other story of the third set. He took a medical timeout for his right thigh at 4-3 down and called the trainer again, this time for his left thigh, at 5-4. Davidovich Fokina missed his first championship point but converted the second.

What the title means

• First Masters 1000 title. Davidovich Fokina had never won a tournament at this level; it is now the biggest title of his career.
• Ten wins in a row in China. He arrived in Shanghai straight from winning the ATP 250 event in Chengdu, and has not lost a match in the country since.
• A hard road. On the way he knocked out world No 2 Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals (our story), while Jodar beat Daniil Medvedev in the other semi.

For Jodar, the questions now are about the two thigh problems that troubled him in the deciding set, with the indoor part of the season still to come.

Earlier in Shanghai

The tournament had already lost its top seed early: Carlos Alcaraz went out to Zizou Bergs in the biggest upset of the fortnight (our report). Zverev reached the last four by beating Alex de Minaur 6-4, 6-4 (our report) before Davidovich Fokina stopped him.

Watching tennis in Pakistan

Shanghai is three hours ahead of Pakistan, so evening sessions there finish in the late afternoon in Lahore and Karachi. For the rest of the season's sport, our cricket match centre carries the day's fixtures in Pakistan time, and our guides explain how to stream on Tamasha and PTV Sports.