Davidovich reaches Shanghai Masters semifinals after Arthur Gea retires injured
Alejandro Davidovich took a 4-1 first-set lead before Arthur Gea retired on Thursday, 15 October. The win sends him into the semifinals, and his cryptic camera messages have drawn attention to a possible Davis Cup recall.
Gea retires with Davidovich ahead
On Thursday, 15 October, Alejandro Davidovich reached the semifinals of the Shanghai Masters 1000, a hard-court event, after his opponent Arthur Gea retired. Gea stopped playing with Davidovich leading 4-1 in the first set and received medical attention, with Europa Press and ABC citing discomfort in the psoas, while La Razón reported problems in the quadriceps and right hip. The length of the match is also reported differently, with 19 minutes given by Europa Press and ABC and 22 minutes by La Razón. Europa Press noted that Davidovich is the first Spanish man to reach the Shanghai semifinals since Rafa Nadal in 2017. ABC counts it as his fourth Masters 1000 semifinal, after Monte Carlo in 2022 and 2025 and Canada in 2023. He will face the winner of the match between Alexander Zverev and Alex de Miñaur in the semifinal.
Messages to the camera
After several wins Davidovich has written short messages on the tournament camera, starting with 'Estoy, eh' and then 'Esperando' after his win over Gea. Spanish outlets read the words as aimed at David Ferrer, Spain's Davis Cup captain, who is putting together his squad for the Final 8 in Bologna from 24 to 29 November. José Morón, director of Punto de Break, drew attention to the messages on social media and interpreted them as a signal of availability. He said:
Foki is clearly sending signals to Spain to receive a call next week that takes him to Bologna in November.
No confirmation of Davidovich's inclusion has been made, and the squad decision is still pending.
Davis Cup picture
Davidovich is ranked as Spain's third player, having previously been second, according to El Mundo. He has not played Davis Cup since 2023, when Sergi Bruguera was captain. Before the September 2025 tie against Denmark, he asked at the last minute not to play, citing tiredness, which left Ferrer with only four available players. Reports say Ferrer's core group is Carlos Alcaraz, Rafa Jódar, Marcel Granollers and Pedro Martínez, with the fifth place contested by Jaume Munar and Dani Mérida. Morón also said Davidovich does not appear among the first four players on a leaked list, although the call-ups could still change.
Jódar and the Spanish run
Rafa Jódar plays Casper Ruud in the quarterfinal on Friday, 16 October, and could become the second Spaniard in the semifinals. Davidovich and Jódar are the last Spanish players left in the Shanghai singles draw, and they became the ninth and tenth Spaniards to reach the Shanghai quarterfinals, with Davidovich ninth and Jódar tenth. Davidovich's previous best there was a third-round loss to Daniil Medvedev last year. No Spaniard has won the Shanghai singles title, while Rafael Nadal (2009 and 2017), David Ferrer (2011) and Roberto Bautista (2016) lost in the final, according to ABC. ABC also reports that Jódar, in his first season on the professional tour, could qualify for the season-ending tournament of masters.
What comes next
Davidovich's semifinal opponent will be the winner of the Zverev and De Miñaur match. Whether he receives a call for the Final 8 remains open until Ferrer names his squad. Morón said the outcome depends on what happens after Davidovich's strong week in Shanghai. Jódar's quarterfinal on Friday will decide whether Spain has a second player in the semifinals.
