ATP Race: Jódar keeps his chances of competing in the ATP Finals intact
We analyze who the candidates are to compete in the ATP Finals 2026, with Zverev, Sinner, and Alcaraz already mathematically qualified.
The exciting moment of the season has arrived when all eyes are on the ATP Race, a ranking that reflects the merits of the tennis players this season and determines which eight men will be in Turin from November 15 to 22 to compete in the ATP Finals 2026. Does Rafael Jódar have real chances of being among them?
Two months of competition filled with mathematical calculations, dreams to achieve, surprises, disappointments, and, above all, great tennis spectacle await us as we look to determine one of the major uncertainties of each season, which is which eight players will compete in the ATP Finals 2026.
The Masters 1000 in Shanghai and Paris will play a fundamental role in this, but so will the ATP 500 in Beijing and Tokyo, as well as those in Basel and Vienna. These will be weeks where all those involved in the fight for a ticket to Turin will eagerly seek to accumulate points in their respective ranking standings.
Zverev will fight Sinner for the number 1 spot, and Alcaraz is guaranteed his presence in the ATP Finals
The outcome of the US Open 2026 has allowed Alexander Zverev to surpass Sinner and compete head-to-head for the year-end number 1, but it also places Ben Shelton ahead of Carlos Alcaraz, giving the American a strong chance of qualifying and virtually securing his presence.
The case of the Murcian is special, as his participation in the ATP Finals is guaranteed due to having won a Grand Slam, like the Australian Open, which would allow him to qualify even if he drops out of the top-8, provided he remains among the 20 best of the year, something he has fully secured.
From there, an exciting scenario opens up in which from the current 5th place in the ATP Race, occupied by Flavio Cobolli, to the 16th place, held by Brandon Nakashima, there is less than 1,300 points of difference. Many players still have mathematical chances of qualifying, with the Asian tour serving as a great filter where candidates will be refined.
Rafael Jódar has a privileged position to fight for a spot in the ATP Finals
However, we can say that everything is very open for the eighth spot as Arthur Fils, the seventh-ranked player, has a margin of 370 points over Daniil Medvedev, who marks the cut-off for those currently traveling to Turin.
It is worth noting that one of those who could contend for a spot in the tournament that gathers the best of the year would be Novak Djokovic, although this could be the first season in which the Serbian fails to secure a ticket, finding himself currently on the ropes and with unclear intentions of whether to compete in the upcoming events of the year.
Very close to the Russian is an abundant and talented roster of players, among whom is Rafael Jódar, currently in ninth place. The disappointment suffered by the young Madrid player at the US Open could turn into a blessing as he enters the final segment of the season with renewed energy after the two weeks of rest he has had, and seeing how his stumble in New York has not had fatal consequences on his aspirations to participate in the ATP Finals 2026.
We will have to keep a close eye on how this battle unfolds over the next few weeks, as it seems feasible that there will be two Spaniards in the Masters tournament, something that Nadal and Ferrer became accustomed to but that represents a significant achievement for Spanish tennis. The uncertainty will be resolved in the next two months, during which the ATP Race will gain great relevance in the day-to-day tennis world. The prize is the ATP Finals 2026 in Turin.
This is how the ATP Race looks that grants access to the ATP Finals 2026 after the US Open
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Race ATP: Jódar mantiene intactas sus opciones de disputar las ATP Finals