Rafael Jodar may have fallen short in the final of the Rolex Shanghai Masters on Sunday, but the 20-year-old is taking all the positives from his run to his first ATP Masters 1000 final.
After claiming the opening set, Jodar was unable to maintain his momentum against fellow Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who rallied to secure the biggest title of his career. Yet, despite the disappointment of missing out on the trophy, Jodar was quick to reflect on what had been a hugely encouraging week.
“It was a great week. I played a lot of matches,” Jodar, who defeated Casper Ruud in the quarter-finals and Daniil Medvedev in the semi-finals, said. “A lot of things to improve for the next tournament. I didn't get the win today, but [I’m] still happy about how things are going for me."
Jodar's latest breakthrough represents another milestone in a 2026 campaign in which he has compiled a 43-17 tour-level record, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. With his run in Shanghai, the Spaniard is up two places to ninth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, strengthening his bid to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time.
Even with the stakes higher than ever in Shanghai, Jodar insisted that he had approached Sunday's final no differently from any other match. Despite leading by a set and a break at one stage, he was unable to close out the contest, but remained focused on the experience gained from competing on one of the sport's biggest stages.
“Another tennis match,” Jodar responded when asked about whether the feeling prior to the Shanghai final was different to the other matches he has experienced. “Just try to enjoy the moment and the match. I gave everything, but it wasn't meant to be today.”
Davidovich Fokina gradually turned the match in his favour, raising his level to take the second set before a tense decider in which both players had opportunities.
“He was playing good, too. [There were] small details in the second set that he played better than me,” Jodar said of Davidovich Fokina after their first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting. “I think that's why he came back in the second set. Then in the third set, a very close one. On the break points he played better.”
