Alejandro Davidovich Fokina waited 7 years to achieve an ATP title, then won 3 titles at once. The Spaniard, who made his first appearance on the tour in April 2019, won the Shanghai Masters Championship after a 1-6, 7-6, 6-4 victory over his compatriot Rafael Khodar yesterday, Sunday, to achieve the third title in his career after his victory in Chengdu last month, and in Mallorca last June.
Davidovich Fokina, who lost his first five finals in the ATP tournaments, said during a press conference: “I cannot describe in words what I achieved on this Chinese tour.”
He added: “I never imagined that I would win two titles after an absence of two months, but I am very happy.” I think my team was motivating me. “The period I spent at home was difficult, but they were very encouraging.”
He continued: “They knew that I was capable of achieving such achievements. So, I'm very grateful for what they did; Because they believed in me.”
Davidovich Fokina (27 years old), whose victory in Chengdu came in the first tournament he participated in after a two-month absence due to a back injury, advanced from 26th place in the world rankings to 13th place, which is the highest ranking in his career.
Australian Ben Simmons' return to the NBA suffered a severe setback on Sunday, after his club, the Sacramento Kings, announced that he had suffered a rupture in his right Achilles tendon during training.
The Kings said in a statement: “Ben Simmons, a Sacramento Kings player, was injured during a live training drill in Sunday’s session. An MRI showed a rupture of the right Achilles tendon. Simmons will undergo surgery. Additional updates will be provided as necessary.”
Simmons missed last season due to recurring back problems, but last September he agreed to a one-year contract with the Kings.
The Philadelphia 76ers selected the 30-year-old first overall in the draft in 2016, but he missed the 2016-17 season due to a fracture in his right foot.
He won the Best Rookie Award in 2018, but his career, which was hampered by injuries with Philadelphia, ended in a tense manner in 2022, and his last participation in the league was in early 2025 when he played as a reserve with the Los Angeles Clippers.
During 8 seasons in the league, Simmons averaged 13.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game, and he recorded his best numbers with the Philadelphia 76ers before he missed the 2021-2022 season, then he moved to the Brooklyn Nets, where he suffered a decline in his level, before the club let go of him in 2025, so he completed the season with the Clippers.
Simmons increased club interest in him in August after a strong training camp with the Australian national team.
The Kings finished last season with a record of 22 victories versus 60 defeats. He has only reached the playoffs once since 2006, when he was eliminated by Golden State in the first round in 2023.
Polish Maya Swalinska is close to entering the list of the top ten players in the world tennis rankings, after she rose 11 places to occupy the eleventh place, following her coronation, on Sunday, of the first title in her career in the professional women’s tournaments, in Wuhan, China.
According to Agence France-Presse, on Monday, 25-year-old Szwalinska reached the best ranking in her career, while Britain's Sonay Kartal achieved the biggest jump in the rankings this week, advancing 121 places to 49th place, after reaching the final of the tournament, approaching her previous best ranking, when she ranked 44th in July 2025.
The ranking of the top ten players did not witness any change, as Kazakhstani Elena Rybakina maintained the lead with 9,169 points, ahead of Belarusian Arina Sabalenka, who is in second place with 7,550 points, and Russian Mira Andreeva, third with 6,306 points.
As the final tournament of the women's tennis season approaches, scheduled in Indian Wells, from November 8 to 15, 7 players have qualified, and they are: Rybakina, Sabalenka, Andreeva, American Jessica Pegula, her compatriot Coco Gauff, Ukrainian Elina Svitolina, and Czech Linda Noskova.
One ticket remains to complete the list of eight participants, amidst competition led by Czech Karolina Muchova, who ranked seventh in the race to qualify for the final tournament, while Polish Iga Szvyontek, ninth, and Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk, tenth, still maintain their chances in the competition.
