Alejandro Davidovich Fokina stunned Ben Shelton last night, beating the American in straight sets to reach the Washington Open final.
Davidovich Fokina, seeded 12th, defeated Shelton 6-2 7-5 under the DC lights, setting up a match against Alex de Minaur in the final.
The Spaniard was an unlikely contender heading into the tournament, but has since proven his worth, beating the likes of Taylor Fritz and Learner Tien on his way to the final.
His achievements in Washington – a tournament he did not compete at in 2024 – have seen him enter a new conversation that few would have expected heading into the 2025 ATP Tour campaign.
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina is a contender to qualify for the ATP Tour Finals
The ATP Tour Finals, which take place in November in Turin, Italy, showcase the top eight players from the calendar year.
The tournament does not rely on a player’s ranking but rather on the total number of ATP points accumulated during the calendar year. The top eight players qualify for November competition each year.
Davidovich Fokina’s remarkable run in Washington has placed him directly in that conversation.
The Spaniard has gained 350 points so far this week. This has seen him rise seven places in the race, above the likes of Alexander Bublik, Tommy Paul and Holger Rune.
Davidovich Fokina, who is in 11th place, sits behind only Alex de Minaur, Casper Ruud and Ben Shelton, who sits in eighth place.
The world number 26 will contest a particularly important match against Alex de Minaur on Sunday. The match will decide the winner of the Washington Open, while also strengthening, or weakening, either player’s chances of qualifying for the ATP Tour finals.
Davidovich Fokina and de Minaur’s close rivalry
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Alex de Minaur have a long history on the ATP Tour.
The pair first played each other at the Next Gen ATP Finals in 2019, with the Australian triumphing in four sets. de Minaur reached the final at the tournament, before losing to Jannik Sinner.
The Spaniard and Australian next met in 2021, with Davidovich Fokina winning in straight sets at the ATP Masters 1000 Monte-Carlo.
| Year | Tournament | Result |
| 2023 | ATP Masters 1000 Canada | de Minaur won 6-1 6-3 |
| 2022 | Queen’s Club Championships | Davidovich Fokina won 4-6 6-4 7-5 |
| 2021 | ATP Masters 1000 Monte-Carlo | Davidovich Fokina won 6-4 7-6 |
| 2019 | Next Gen ATP Finals | de Minaur won 4-2 3-4 4-1 4-1 |
The Spaniard followed this up with victory at the 2022 Queen’s Club Championships before de Minaur enacted revenge at the 2023 ATP Masters 1000 Canada.
Remarkably, Davidovich Fokina has never won an ATP Tour title. He will have a chance to change that against de Minaur on Sunday evening.
