The Shanghai Masters is one of the final major events on the ATP calendar. Players compete on relatively fast hard courts, often in extreme humidity.
The tournament joined the schedule in 2009. Early editions featured some of tennis’s biggest names. Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Roger Federer won every title from 2010 to 2017.
This year, Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina became the fifth consecutive first-time champion. The achievement marks a major milestone in his career.
Here, Sports News Blitz writer and tennis fan AJ Becker examines Fokina’s triumph and the other standout performers in China.
A painful past
Reaching four ATP finals in one year is an impressive achievement. However, Fokina suffered heartbreak in each of his 2025 finals.
He also missed five championship points across those matches. Two slipped away against Miomir Kecmanović at Delray Beach. He then missed three more against Alex de Minaur at the Washington Open.
Those defeats raised questions about his ability to win a title. Some feared he might follow players such as Julien Benneteau and Filip Krajinović, who struggled to convert their talent into a tour-level trophy.
Performing under pressure
Fokina has now replaced his previous struggles under pressure with greater composure and resilience.
Injury disrupted parts of his season. However, he finally secured a tour-level title on the grass in Mallorca in June. He followed that success with another crown in Chengdu the following month, according to the original report.
Shanghai provided another test of his mental strength. Fokina won deciding-set tie-breaks against Frances Tiafoe and Hubert Hurkacz.
He then recovered from a set down to beat top seed Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals. Zverev was also approaching the world number one ranking.
Fokina repeated that comeback in Sunday’s final against the in-form Rafael Jodar.
The 27-year-old has always possessed considerable talent. His command of the drop shot remains one of his biggest strengths.
Working with renowned coach José Clavet at the start of the year also appears to have brought greater discipline and clarity to his game.
Fokina has now reached a career-high ranking of 13. The article also identifies him as the 25th active ATP player to win a Masters title.
Jodar’s star rising
He may have been edged out in the final, but any tennis follower will know that Jodar’s debut Shanghai appearance – four consecutive recoveries from a set down plus a hugely impressive victory over seasoned Masters champion Daniil Medvedev – was in sync with his phenomenal debut season.
One of the brightest stars in the ATP firmament, Jodar has played more than 70 matches this year and pushed his body to the limit.
Yet, he continued to show remarkable resilience in those comeback affairs.
Indeed, it has taken the 20-year-old just 26 Masters matches to register 20 wins – it’s worth noting that both Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal needed more games (28 and 29) to reach that mark.
His potential seems infinitely vast as does his confidence to make good on that promise.
A rankings leap from number 283 a year ago to number 11 today is a jump of staggering proportions.
It will also offer hope to those languishing outside the top 200, for whom ATP players are simply a distant other, that they too may harbour a chance of making such a leap.
Hitting top Gea
Incidentally, Frenchman Arthur Gea is now placed at number 44 – almost 200 spots above his year-start position.
His series of milestones in 2026 included a maiden ATP title in Los Cabos, a last-16 berth at the US Open, and now a Shanghai quarter-final placing.
Gea, who excels at turning matches into physical battles and outlasting opponents, upset both Ben Shelton (top five) and Jakub Menšík (top 15) on his debut Masters participation.
To have won 30 of 35 matches on outdoor hard courts this year while holding a sensational 5-1 career record against top 30 players amounts to a demonstration of the 21-year-old’s blossoming ability, if not the total fulfilment of his potential.
Finally, Zizou Bergs’ stunning win over tournament favourite Alcaraz is worth a mention.
It constitutes a pivotal moment in the career of the Belgian for whom taking down elite opponents had often looked unattainable due to erratic fitness and an inability to sustain his highest level.
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