BARCELONA/STARNBERG, April 18, 2026

The 2026 Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell continued on Saturday with two high-quality semi-final clashes, as Andrey Rublev and Arthur Fils advanced to the title match of the ATP 500 event.

Fifth seed Rublev recovered from a slow start to defeat Serbian qualifier Hamad Medjedovic 3-6, 6-2, 6-2. After dropping the opening set, the Russian raised his level significantly, taking control from the baseline and dictating play to turn the match around and secure his place in the final.

“I was just trying to not let the emotions overtake me,” Rublev said. “I was down, but then I said ‘I have a chance’. In the end, I was able to get my chance. The third set was 50-50. It was super dangerous until I was able to break him and finish the match.”

In the second semi-final, ninth seed Fils produced a similar comeback performance against Spanish wild card Rafael Jodar. The 21-year-old Frenchman overcame a one-set deficit to claim a 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory, ending Jodar’s impressive run and booking his spot in his second ATP 500 final of the season.

“On the TV, I don’t think you can see how hard he [Jodar] is hitting,” Fils said after notching his 100th tour-level victory. “The ball is flying and coming very fast. It took me one set to get used to his quality, and then after I felt better and I finished very strong. But he is going to be a pain in the a*** to play.”

All ♥️ for Barcelona! #BarcelonaOpenBS pic.twitter.com/FO6WgWZ0dg

— ATP Tour (@atptour) April 18, 2026