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Davidovich Fokina Rallies Past Jodar to Win First Masters 1000 Title in Shanghai

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina saved his best escape for last, coming from a set and a break down to beat Rafael Jodar in the Shanghai final for his first Masters 1000 crown.

Published

6 hours ago

October 22, 2026

Royal Jones

Davidovich Fokina and Jodar at the Shanghai Masters trophy ceremony

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina saved his most dramatic escape for the biggest match of his career. The 25th seed rallied from a set and a break down to defeat 20-year-old Rafael Jodar 1-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 on Sunday and win the Rolex Shanghai Masters, the first ATP Masters 1000 title of his career.

Jodar, playing his first Masters 1000 final, stormed through the opening set and led by a break in the second before Davidovich Fokina clawed his way back, edging the tiebreak and taking control as his young opponent’s body began to fail him in the third set, when Jodar needed treatment on his right thigh. The final lasted two hours and 28 minutes.

The comeback was the theme of his week. It was the fourth time in the tournament he had won from a set down: he saved a match point against Frances Tiafoe in the third round, then rallied past Hubert Hurkacz and top seed Alexander Zverev, beating the German 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 in the semifinals.

‘I don’t have any words right now,’ Davidovich Fokina said. ‘Just a huge relief.’ He admitted the physical battle was the key in the decider: ‘It was very physical. I was just trying to survive.’

The title completes a remarkable turnaround for the 27-year-old Spaniard, who lost the first five finals of his career — including Monte Carlo in 2022 — before finally breaking through this season. Shanghai is his third straight title, after Mallorca and Chengdu, and it extends his winning streak in China to 10 matches, all of it after he missed two months of the season with a back injury before Chengdu.

Davidovich Fokina collects $1,151,380 and 1,000 ranking points, and on Monday he climbs 13 places to a career-high No. 13 in the world. It was the first all-Spanish Masters 1000 final in nine years, since Rafael Nadal beat Albert Ramos-Vinolas in Monte Carlo in 2017. Next up for the new champion: the Swiss Indoors in Basel.

Photo credit: Lintao Zhang/Getty Images

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Royal Jones

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Angel Reese’s Historic Night Powers Dream Past Valkyries 97-71 for 2-1 Finals Lead

Angel Reese had 21 points and 12 rebounds to become the first player in WNBA history with a double-double in each of her first three Finals games, and the Atlanta Dream routed the Golden State Valkyries 97-71 in Game 3 to take a 2-1 lead in the WNBA Finals.

Published

4 hours ago

October 22, 2026

Royal Jones

Angel Reese high-fives Jordin Canada during WNBA Finals Game 3

The Atlanta Dream turned their first home game of the WNBA Finals into a statement. Behind another commanding performance from Angel Reese, Atlanta blew out the Golden State Valkyries 97-71 on Wednesday night in front of a sold-out crowd of 17,099 at State Farm Arena, taking a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series and setting a franchise record for points in a Finals game.

Watch the official Game 3 highlights:

Atlanta’s defense set the tone from the opening tip. The Dream held Golden State scoreless for the first five minutes, and the Valkyries did not make a field goal until Aminata Gueye’s hook shot with 4:38 left in the first quarter. Atlanta led 23-15 after one and 46-40 at halftime.

Golden State made its push early in the third quarter, tying the game at 49. Reese answered personally, fueling an 8-0 run and capping it with a coast-to-coast driving layup. After the Valkyries trimmed the margin to 59-55, the Dream closed the quarter by scoring 12 of the final 14 points to carry a 71-57 lead into the fourth, then outscored Golden State 26-14 the rest of the way. Atlanta has now outscored Golden State 63-35 in third quarters across the series.

Angel Reese celebrates with Rhyne Howard during Game 3 of the WNBA Finals at State Farm Arena. (AP Photo)

Reese finished with 21 points on 7-of-12 shooting, 12 rebounds, three assists and three steals. She is the first player in WNBA history to record a double-double in each of her first three Finals games, the youngest player ever with three straight double-doubles in the Finals, and she joined A’ja Wilson as the only players to post 20 points and 10 rebounds in consecutive Finals games. She also went 2-for-2 from three-point range; Atlanta is 14-0 this season when Reese makes a three.

“Time to take over. Do whatever it takes to win,” Reese said. “Everybody was just playing together. It’s fun when you win and you play with a great group. So it makes my job super easy.”

Rhyne Howard added 16 points and five steals, becoming the first player in league history with five steals in consecutive Finals games. Naz Hillmon scored 15, Isobel Borlase added 12 off the bench, and Jordin Canada finished with 10 points and eight assists. Atlanta shot 49.3 percent from the field, hit nine three-pointers and owned the paint, 44-20.

Gabby Williams led Golden State with 15 points, Tiffany Hayes scored 14, and Janelle Salaün and Cecilia Zandalasini added 13 apiece. But the Valkyries shot just 34.8 percent and committed 17 turnovers, which Atlanta converted into 22 points. “Sometimes, promises aren’t kept,” Golden State coach Natalie Nakase said.

Game 4 is Saturday, October 24 at 1 p.m. ET at State Farm Arena, televised on NBC and streaming on Peacock. Atlanta, playing in its first Finals since 2013, is now two wins away from the first championship in franchise history.