Rafael Jodar has secured the eighth and final qualification spot for the ATP Finals, a remarkable achievement for the Spanish starlet after only turning professional at the start of this year. Jodar clinched his place following Carlos Alcaraz’s comeback victory against Taylor Fritz in the Paris Masters quarter-finals.
Carlos Alcaraz’s ATP Finals debut
Alcaraz first qualified for the ATP Finals in 2022 after capturing his maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open, but injury forced him to withdraw from the tournament. He qualified again in 2023, making his tournament debut as the second seed and advancing to the semi-finals by defeating Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev in the group stage.
Novak Djokovic halted Alcaraz’s tournament run in the semi-finals with a 6-3, 6-2 victory. Djokovic described it as his best match of the tournament, noting that he struck the ball well from the very beginning and approached the contest with the right mentality. Djokovic ultimately defeated Jannik Sinner in the final to claim a record-breaking seventh title.
Rafael Nadal’s ATP Finals debut
Rafael Nadal made his debut at the event, then known as the Tennis Masters Cup, in 2006. The 22-time Grand Slam champion also reached the semi-finals by defeating Nikolay Davydenko and Tommy Robredo in the group stage before losing to Roger Federer.
Nadal expressed satisfaction after his exit, stating in his post-match press conference that he finished the season playing his best game with very good feelings. He noted that he was happy winning two matches against top-eight players and competing at a high level against the world number one. Federer went on to defeat James Blake in the final in Shanghai, China, to capture his third ATP Finals title, though Nadal never won the tournament during his career despite reaching the final twice.
