Jódar temporarily ranked: this is how the battle for the ATP Finals stands after Shanghai

Carlos Navarro - 18 Oct 2026 | 20:33
Race ATP Rafael Jódar Alejandro Davidovich Novak Djokovic ATP Alex de Miñaur Arthur Fils

The battle for a spot in the ATP Finals intensifies following Jódar's success in Shanghai: Davidovich joins a race with several candidates.

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Jódar, the main protagonist in Shanghai: he is #9 of the year.

The battle for the ATP Finals 2026 in the men's circuit intensifies after a week full of news. Few expected Alejandro Davidovich to enter the fray, but the title from the Malaga player at the ATP Shanghai 2026 has added one of the most in-form and hungry players in the current circuit to the race. The player from Malaga has a tough road ahead, but he is now a player to consider in a challenge that has just four weeks left until we know which players will compete in Turin.

In terms of the Masters tournament, the name of the week is by no means Davidovich. We are talking about Rafa Jódar, who, when it seemed he was running out of gas after a brutally demanding first year on the circuit, has accelerated again to pass everyone on the right. The player from Leganés is simply pursuing history: he could become the first tennis player to qualify for the ATP Finals in his first full year on the circuit... and he leaves Shanghai with what would be the last spot after Jannik Sinner's withdrawal.

These are the calculations for Jódar and Davidovich after the ATP Shanghai 2026

The player from Madrid is already the ninth best racket of the season, with 3159 points, thus momentarily securing his spot in Turin and overtaking Alex de Miñaur and Novak Djokovic in the standings. The advantage he has over the Australian is 279 points, a significant distance that ensures he remains in this position until the start of the tournaments in Vienna and Basel, no matter what.

The Serbian is, precisely, the biggest loser from the results at the penultimate Masters 1000 of the season: he left Beijing with a temporary spot in Turin, but the great performances of his pursuers have sent him to the #11th position in the Race, just 40 units behind Miñaur. This has led the player from Belgrade to accept an invitation to participate in the Basel tournament, strengthening his bid to compete once again in the end-of-season tournament and in search of the 500 points he now needs after Jódar's magnificent performance in Asian lands.

Sitting almost 300 points behind the Serbian is the next part of the pack, players who need at least one title if they want to aim for the last spots that allow access to Turin. This group of pursuers is led by Tommy Paul, who also moves up two positions after reaching the quarter-finals in Shanghai, but with a very notable name: Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. The player from Malaga climbs 13 positions after his title in Shanghai and enters, albeit with remote possibilities, into the fray: he is now #14 of the season with 2510 points, 649 units away from the threshold set by Jódar as of today. Difficult but not impossible for Foki, who now heads to a tournament with fond memories, Basel, where he reached the final last season.

Shelton secures his presence in Turin: who will play in the ATP Finals?

If we look further up, one of the standout names of the week is Ben Shelton: he still hasn't found his footing after reaching the final of the US Open, but his early elimination in Shanghai hasn't prevented him from securing his presence for the second time in his career at the end-of-season tournament. Beyond Ben, the race is on: neither Flavio Cobolli, nor Daniil Medvedev, nor Frances Tiafoe nor Arthur Fils have secured their ticket to Turin, and they are all in a tight race, as there are only 381 points between the fifth player of the season (Flavio) and the last temporarily qualified for the ATP Finals (Jódar). If any of them suffers early losses and fails to score points, especially in Paris, they could be at risk in the event of a great performance from any of the pursuers.

The major rises in the ATP Race after the ATP Shanghai 2026

  • #6 Daniil Medvedev (+2)

  • #9 Rafa Jódar (+2)

  • #14 Alejandro Davidovich (+13)

  • #42 Arthur Gea (+7)

  • #66 Mattia Bellucci (+16)

  • #87 Damir Dzumhur (+17)

Así queda la Race ATP tras Shanghái.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Jódar, momentáneamente clasificado: así queda la pelea por las ATP Finals tras Shanghái