Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina defeated top seed Alexander Zverev 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 on Saturday to reach the 2026 Rolex Shanghai Masters final, securing one of the biggest victories of his career.
The world No. 26 rallied after losing the opening set, displaying aggressive baseline play and impressive serving to overcome the German in two hours and six minutes.
The victory marks Davidovich Fokina’s second ATP Masters 1000 final appearance, after his run to the Monte-Carlo final in 2022.
While responding in the second set, levelling the match with a strong backhand passing shot. He then capitalised on a double fault from Zverev early in the deciding set, gaining momentum and maintaining pressure throughout the remainder of the contest.
Davidovich Fokina won 82 per cent of his first-serve points and recorded his sixth career victory against a top-five opponent.
Although he wasted two match points while leading 5-2, he held his nerve to serve out the match.
“I am just thinking about every ball,” Davidovich Fokina stated after the match, explaining how he remained primarily focused instead of worrying about the result.
The victory extends his winning streak in China to nine matches. Previously, he claimed the Chengdu Open title last month and also overcame Frances Tiafoe and Hubert Hurkacz during his Shanghai campaign.
Davidovich Fokina entered the tournament ranked No. 26 and has increased to No. 15 in the live ATP rankings.
He is now the fourth lowest-ranked finalist in Shanghai Masters history.
The Spaniard is set to face either Daniil Medvedev or Rafael Jodar in Sunday’s final as he seeks his first Masters 1000 title.
Zverev, meanwhile, missed the opportunity to reach his second Masters 1000 final of the season, having previously lost to Jannik Sinner in Madrid.
