Rafa Jódar will never forget the 2026 Mutua Madrid Open. In years to come, when he is – more than likely – among the best tennis players in the world, the Madrid native will be able to look back and remember everything he learnt during this fortnight in the Caja Magica.
Four victories in the Manolo Santana Stadium and an epic quarter-final match at an ATP Masters 1000 against Jannik Sinner, the world number one, sum up Jódar’s run in Madrid. The Spaniard made excellent use of the wildcard granted to him by the organisers; he overcame Jesper de Jong in the first round, then defeated Alex de Minaur – his first win against a top ten player – followed by a victory over Joao Fonseca, who is his age, and was unfazed by the pressure of a round-of-sixteen clash with Vit Kopriva. In the quarter-finals, however, he was unable to continue his winning streak. But there is little to regret; the 6-2, 7-6 (0) loss came against Sinner, the man on track to become the first player in history to win five consecutive Masters 1000 titles.
“What a player”, wrote Sinner on the camera in the Manolo Santana Stadium having worked up a significant sweat to overcome Jódar. It is a compliment that perfectly sums up the tournament played by the kid from Leganes, who left the court to a generous ovation from the crowd. Surely, the first of many to come.
“I take with me the fact that I competed toe-to-toe and that I have a long way to go in raising my level. I focus on the positives”, Jódar said in his press conference. “I’ve played matches against very different players and that is also a learning experience. It was very special and amazing to play at home, in Madrid, and I hope to continue playing at this level in upcoming matches”.
“It’s my first year on the tour, I have many tournaments left this season, and many more seasons ahead. I have to make sure this serves as a lesson”, added the Spaniard. “Another lesson I’ve learnt is that all the players on this circuit play exceptionally well and have the ambition to win. You have to be aware of that, keep your feet on the ground, and realise that anyone can beat you”.
At 19 years of age, Jódar leaves the Caja Magica knowing that he can compete on equal terms with the best tennis players on the planet. That his career-first title at the ATP 250 in Marrakech, which he celebrated a few weeks ago, was no fluke. That when the world rankings are updated on Monday, he will see his name at number 34, higher than ever before. For another week, he will remain the youngest player in the entire top 100.
In the coming days, Jódar will travel to Rome to play the next Masters 1000 on the calendar, and then set his sights on Roland Garros, where he will almost certainly start as one of the 32 seeded players. It will be just his second main draw appearance at a Grand Slam after the 2026 Australian Open, when he reached the second round from qualifying. This time, however, he will be feared by his rivals. The world has now met Jódar. And they met him in Madrid.
