Spain’s Rafael Jodar proved his credentials as rising star of world tennis before F2026 French Open at Roland Garros
Tennis players often sign their initials or write motivational quotes, personal jokes or smiley faces on the camera lens after matches.
World No. 1 Jannik Sinner took a different path after last month’s Madrid Masters quarter-final. The Italian superstar is on a historic run; He becomes the first player to win five consecutive Masters titles and routinely bests hapless opponents.
The Sinner also won this time, but admitted that the situation was different. “What a player,” he wrote after surviving Spain’s new teenage sensation Rafael Jodar.
The note was described as his stamp of approval, even if he was reluctant to mark Sinner as part of a potential new “Big Four” alongside Carlos Alcaraz and fellow prodigy Joao Fonseca, whom Jodar edged in three sets at the same Madrid tournament.
In the previous round, Jodar’s defeat of Australia’s top 10 star Alex de Minaur on clay courts with scores of 6-3 and 6-1 was equally remarkable. It’s legit the new “Rafa” idolizes 22-time grand slam champion Rafael Nadal.
Jodar only announced in December of last year that he was leaving the University of Virginia and the college tennis scene to turn pro.
“[He is] “I play incredible tennis.” sinner said After beating Jodar 6-2, 7-6 (7-0) in Madrid, seven break points were saved.
“I can’t predict the future. What I’ve always believed is that they are all incredible talents. As an athlete there is always a lot of pressure on you. My advice is to always keep the pressure as far away from the present as possible, even if I know there will always be a lot of talk off the field.”
The 191-centimeter boy from Madrid, who is only 19 years old, 175km/h forehand winner against Sinner, a display of his raw power and daring throws. He boasts a top speed of over 200 km/h and is equally adept on either wing.
When a phenomenon like Jodar (HO-dar, Spanish for the letter “J” pronounced like the “H” in “hot”) achieves the success it has in the last two months, universal enthusiasm is inevitable.
He qualified and won one round at this year’s Australian Open (claiming it was his favorite tournament) and started March outside the top 100. But when the tournament kicks off on May 24 (AEST), he will be seeded at Roland Garros, where Nadal won the singles title 14 times.
Among the Spaniards competing in the French capital, only the experienced Alejandro Davidovich-Fokina will be ranked higher than Jodar, with Alcaraz’s ankle injury preventing him from defending his Paris title.
Jodar’s rocket ship rise included qualifying and reaching the round of 32 at the Miami Masters, winning the Marrakech ATP 250 title, reaching the semi-finals at ATP 500 level in Barcelona and reaching the quarter-finals of his home city’s event, the Madrid Masters.
He completed his preparations for Roland Garros by reaching the quarter-finals at the Rome Masters this week.
Jodar is already fielding questions about his burgeoning rivalry with Fonseca, who told this headline in Brisbane in January that the young Spaniard had “huge potential”. Jodar echoed those sentiments about the Brazilian.
“I’m sure he’ll do great things,” Jodar said. “He’s a very young player, a great player, so I wish him every success for the rest of the season and his career.”
Sinner is one of the hot favorites to win this year’s Roland Garros title and complete the grand slam set in Alcaraz’s absence; But Jodar and Fonseca are just two of the young stars who dream of dethroning him at the top of the sport.
The world’s top 100 list includes 11 men aged 21 or under, including Australian Open quarter-finalist Learner Tien, last year’s Miami Masters champion Jakub Mensik, Madrid semi-finalist Alexander Blockx and Novak Djokovic’s winner Dino Przmic of Croatia.
Jodar outperformed Tien in Rome, losing just five matches.
Two more Spaniards, former junior world No.1 and Rome quarter-finalist Martin Landaluce and Daniel Merida, are also in this area – but Jodar has stormed past both of them to become the country’s next great hope, despite Alcaraz being just 22-years-old.
“Magnificent torneo!” Alcaraz tweeted on social media after Jodar’s heroics in Madrid. He wrote his congratulations. (you can guess what that means), while Nadal’s uncle and former coach Toni labeled him the best player of the new generation.
“He made lightning-fast progress in a very short period of time,” Toni Nadal said. El País.
“I believe that in a few years – and I will almost certainly be wrong and it will only be months – Rafa will be one of the best tennis players in the world, a serious candidate who will make the lives of today’s best players difficult and fight to lift the most important trophies.”
German great Boris Becker also added his praise, writing in X that Spain was “lucky to have another diamond.” [their] arsenal”.
Another thing that caught Sinner’s attention at Jodar was its minimalist team; His father and coach was Rafael Jodar snr (a physical education teacher who did not play sports) and he was often the only person in the players’ box.
But this is far from just another cautionary tale between tennis’ infamous parent team.
“He’s got a great family behind him. His father seems very, very humble,” Sinner said. “He’s got a little bubble and it’s great for him. I think he’ll get incredible results in the future.”
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