Jodar shaping up as tennis' Next Big Thing and makes quite a debut at the French Open
- On Monday, 19-year-old Spanish player Rafael Jodar dominated his Roland Garros main draw debut, defeating American Aleksandar Kovacevic 6-1, 6-0, 6-4 in 94 minutes despite extreme heat at the clay-court Grand Slam.
- Two-Time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz's injury opened the spotlight after he had established himself as the 'Prince of Clay' with successive French Open titles in the post-Rafa Nadal era.
- Jodar's 5-game total matched the fewest conceded in a French Open debut since Novak Djokovic allowed 3 to Robby Ginepri in 2005; he has won 16 of his last 19 matches and won his first ATP title in Morocco.
- Positioned in the draw's bottom half, Jodar appears destined to become a top-10 player and serious contender for major titles, though he tempered expectations by stating, "I still have to learn a lot of things in the tour."
- The Spanish teenager, who turned professional in 2026 after playing college tennis at the University of Virginia, has risen from ranked 903 to No. 29 in just over a year and faces Australia's James Duckworth next.
41 Articles
41 Articles
Tennis-Jodar latest Spanish gem to sparkle in French Open’s post-Nadal era
By Shrivathsa Sridhar PARIS, May 25 (Reuters) - Carlos Alcaraz may have established himself as the "Prince of Clay" with successive French Open titles in the post-Rafa Nadal era at Roland Garros but the defending champion's absence this year has allowe...
Jodar shaping up as tennis’ Next Big Thing and makes quite a debut at the French Open
PARIS (AP) — Two-time reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz is out injured. Promising 21-year-old French player Arthur Fils also pulled out with a physical issue. Jack Draper has been bothered for
Jodar latest Spanish gem to sparkle in French Open's post-Nadal era
PARIS, May 25 : Carlos Alcaraz may have established himself as the "Prince of Clay" with successive French Open titles in the post-Rafa Nadal era at Roland Garros but the defending champion's absence this year has allowed another young Spaniard to grab the spotlight.Away from Court Philippe Chatrier, where re
The Spanish tennis player won the match in just an hour and a half giving only five games. (6-1, 6-0, 6-4) More information: The rebellion of Rafa Jódar and Martín Landaluce: the Spanish tennis lighthouses before the month of Alcaraz's absence
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