Jódar meets Tabilo in Paris with the Finals race at stake

Rafa Jódar faces Alejandro Tabilo in the first round of the Paris Masters 1000 on Monday. The match is on the day’s schedule at the courts in La Défense. The precise start time is not given here, but the occasion matters to the Spaniard: the Paris tournament is his last chance this season to add points to his tally. It is also the final TMS event on the calendar.

The venue has changed since last season. Matches are being played at La Défense, whose courts took the place of the Bercy complex then. For Jódar, the Paris stop matters above all in the race for the ATP Finals in Turin, scheduled from the 15th to the 22nd. Four places remain available, and the Spaniard is still seeking one of them.

The standings make every point important: Jódar is tenth in the 2026 Race, one point behind Alex de Minaur, who would currently occupy the final direct qualifying spot. The first-round meeting with Tabilo is therefore a consequential match for the Spaniard, although qualification for the season-ending event will depend on how his campaign continues.

Jódar has another favourable reference point going into the match: he has won their last three meetings. Tabilo is ranked 30th in the world. That run offers a point of comparison ahead of their match, but does not determine its outcome. Jódar, the ninth seed, also begins his time in the world top 10 on Monday, aged 20.

The first-round match between Rafa Jódar and Alejandro Tabilo will be shown on Movistar +. With the Spaniard looking both to clear his first hurdle in Paris and to keep his Race chances alive, the meeting opens a decisive week for his qualification ambitions.