Rafael Jodar Qualifies for ATP Finals After Alcaraz's Paris Comeback

Rafael Jodar has qualified for the ATP Finals, even though he only turned professional at the start of this year. The Spanish teenager secured the eighth and final place in the season-ending event after Carlos Alcaraz produced a stunning comeback to beat Taylor Fritz in the quarter-finals of the Paris Masters.

Alcaraz's result was decisive for the race, and it also invites a look back at how two of Spain's most celebrated players fared on their own ATP Finals debuts.

Carlos Alcaraz's debut

Alcaraz first qualified in 2022, after winning his maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open. He was forced to withdraw from that event because of injury. He qualified again the following year, and this time he was able to make his tournament debut.

Seeded second, Alcaraz beat Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev in the group stage before reaching the semi-finals. There he lost to Novak Djokovic, who won 6-3, 6-2 and ended his hopes of a debut triumph.

Djokovic described it as the best match of the tournament for him. He said it had come at the right time, after many hours on court in his first three matches, and that he had felt the ball well from the start with the right attitude and mentality. Djokovic went on to win a record-breaking seventh ATP Finals title, beating Jannik Sinner in the final.

Rafael Nadal's debut

Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam champion, made his debut at the tournament in 2006, when it was still known as the Tennis Masters Cup. Like Alcaraz, he reached the semi-finals, having beaten Nikolay Davydenko and Tommy Robredo along the way.

His run ended against Roger Federer in the last four. Nadal said he was satisfied to finish the season with his best game and a positive feeling. He pointed out that he had beaten two of the top eight players and had lost to the world No. 1 while playing at a very good level.

Federer's title

Federer went on to win the title in Shanghai, defeating James Blake in the final. It was the third ATP Finals title of his career, and he finished with six in total, the last coming in 2011. Nadal reached the final on two occasions but never won the tournament.