Jodar stuns Medvedev, Davidovich Fokina beats Zverev to set up all-Spanish Shanghai Masters final

The Shanghai Masters will crown a first-time Masters 1000 champion after two Spaniards knocked out the tournament's biggest names on Saturday, 17 October. Twenty-year-old Rafael Jodar beat former world No. 1 Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 6-4, and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina came from a set down to beat top seed Alexander Zverev 5-7, 6-4, 6-3. The all-Spanish final at the Qi Zhong Tennis Center is scheduled for Sunday, 18 October, not before 4.30pm local time, which is also 4.30pm in Malaysia.

Jodar holds his nerve against Medvedev

Jodar, seeded 12th, needed real patience in the opening set. The first game alone lasted around 13 minutes, and Medvedev saved four set points before the Spaniard finally took it when the Russian sent a return long. Jodar called for a medical timeout before the second set but showed no sign of trouble afterwards, jumping to a 2-0 lead. He broke again at 4-3 when Medvedev double-faulted, and the 2019 Shanghai champion took a tumble while scrambling to save a match point late on.

The win completes a remarkable rise. Jodar began the season ranked 168th and is playing his first full year on the ATP Tour. Along the way he has won the ATP 250 title in Marrakech, finished runner-up at the ATP 500 event in Washington and reached the semi-finals in Montreal. This is his first final at Masters 1000 level, and the ATP says a title would lift him into the top 10 of the rankings for the first time and keep his hopes alive of a debut at the ATP Finals in Turin.

Davidovich Fokina fights back against Zverev

In the other semi-final, Davidovich Fokina admitted to nerves after a shaky start, and Zverev took the first set 7-5. The 27-year-old Spaniard steadied himself, levelled the match 6-4 and pulled away in the decider. Zverev, who will finish 2026 as world No. 1 after winning the French Open and US Open, said afterwards that fatigue had caught up with him and that he had been carrying an injury, including an ankle he felt at times during the week.

Davidovich Fokina, ranked 26th coming into the event, has already climbed to 15th in the live rankings and is guaranteed a return to the top 20 on Monday. This will be his second Masters 1000 final, his first since Monte-Carlo in 2022, and a win could take him past his career-high ranking of No. 14.

Wuhan final also set for Sunday

Over in Wuhan, Poland's Maja Chwalinska beat compatriot Iga Swiatek 7-5, 6-1 in an all-Polish semi-final lasting two hours and eight minutes. Chwalinska saved two set points in the first set and won 10 of the last 11 games after Swiatek took a medical timeout for a leg problem. It was her first win over a top-10 player.

She will face Britain's Sonay Kartal, who beat Jelena Ostapenko in two tiebreak sets after earlier wins over Belinda Bencic, Jasmine Paolini and Elina Svitolina. Chwalinska, ranked 22nd, is chasing her first WTA title; Kartal, whose only previous tour-level crown came in Monastir in 2024, is ranked 170th. The final is scheduled not before 6.30pm local time on Sunday, 18 October, also 6.30pm in Malaysia. The champion earns 1,000 ranking points.

Why it matters

With Zverev having already secured year-end No. 1 and Medvedev out, the Shanghai final is a chance for a new name to break through at the top level. Both Spaniards are seeking their first Masters 1000 trophy, and both have points at stake in the race for the eight places at the season-ending ATP Finals.

Key takeaways

• Rafael Jodar, 20, beat Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 6-4 to reach his first Masters 1000 final.
• Alejandro Davidovich Fokina beat top seed Alexander Zverev 5-7, 6-4, 6-3.
• The all-Spanish Shanghai final is set for 18 October, not before 4.30pm Malaysia time.
• Maja Chwalinska beat Iga Swiatek 7-5, 6-1 and meets Sonay Kartal in the Wuhan final, not before 6.30pm Malaysia time.

FAQ

When is the Shanghai Masters final in Malaysia time? It is scheduled for Sunday, 18 October 2026, not before 4.30pm. Shanghai and Malaysia share the same time zone (UTC+8).

Has either Shanghai finalist won a Masters 1000 title before? No. Both Rafael Jodar and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina are chasing their first Masters 1000 crown.

Why did Zverev lose in Shanghai? Zverev won the first set but faded, and said fatigue and an injury he had carried into the event caught up with him.

Sources: ATP Tour, WTA, Inquirer Sports (AFP), Tennis Channel