TWO COMEBACKS, TWO DIFFERENT MESSAGES

Rafael Jodar and Alejandro Tabilo reshaped the Mubadala DC Open in Washington with two victories secured after losing the opening set. According to the official ATP Tour report published on 1 August 2026, Jodar defeated fourth seed Lorenzo Musetti 1-6, 6-1, 6-4, while Tabilo came through against second seed Ben Shelton 4-6, 7-5, 6-4.

The results are a material new development from the previous round. Shelton could not turn his victory over Ugo Humbert into another Washington semi-final, while Jodar converted his quarter-final into the biggest ranking step of his season.

JODAR'S RESET AFTER THE OPENING SET

Jodar's match began in the worst possible way, with Musetti taking the first set 6-1. The 19-year-old Spaniard then reset his serving rhythm and did not face a break point after the opener. ATP reported that he landed 65 per cent of his first serves and won 77 per cent of the points behind them.

The victory guarantees Jodar his first place inside the ATP Top 20. He was World No. 540 last August and began the 2026 season at No. 168; following the quarter-final, he rose to No. 19 in the live rankings. That progress is not built on a single strong week: his season includes the Marrakech title, a Barcelona semi-final and quarter-finals at Roland Garros, Madrid and Rome.

TABILO HOLDS UNDER PRESSURE

Tabilo moved close to elimination when Shelton created three consecutive break points at 4-4, 0/40 in the second set. The Chilean saved all three, forced a decider and won four of the final five games. The match lasted two hours and 23 minutes and ended shortly before midnight local time.

For Shelton, the defeat ended his attempt to reach a third consecutive semi-final at this event. For Tabilo, it is an 11th ATP Tour semi-final and evidence that his game can remain effective when both the score and the crowd are working against him.

WHAT COMES NEXT

Jodar and Tabilo will meet in the semi-finals. Tabilo won their first encounter at Indian Wells earlier this year, but Jodar now arrives with a new ranking status and the confidence of a comeback against a former World No. 5.

The editorial value of this match extends beyond a single result. Jodar is moving from the label of emerging talent to a concrete place among the world's top 20, while Tabilo is building a run defined by patience and pressure management. Their semi-final will determine which player can turn that momentum into a title opportunity.

This article was written from scratch by ON MEDIA.AL using the official ATP Tour report and statistics.