Alex de Minaur has suffered a startling defeat, crushed by the latest teenage Spanish wonder boy in the second round of the Madrid Open. The world No 8 lost 6-3 6-1 to 19-year-old Rafael Jodar in just 75 one-sided minutes.
Dominant display from Jodar
Jodar, a Madrid local, recorded his first victory over a top-10 opponent, breaking de Minaur's serve six times. The Australian could only manage two winners while making 26 unforced errors, as Jodar slammed 15 winners past him.
De Minaur's form slump
Since winning the Rotterdam Open in February, de Minaur has won only four of ten matches. He climbed to a career-high ranking of world No 6 but has since slipped back to No 8 after crashing out of six tournaments. The 27-year-old now faces a new breed of power players emerging to challenge him.
Jodar, who has risen from No 687 to No 42 in the world over the past year, expressed his joy: "It was crazy. Crazy feelings. I'm super happy to get my second win here in Madrid at my home tournament, where I used to come when I was a kid."
Next up, Jodar will face fellow 19-year-old Brazilian Joao Fonseca in a duel of the two youngest players inside the world's top 100. With his win, Jodar joins Fonseca as just the second man born in 2006 or later to record a top-10 victory.
Earlier, top seed Jannik Sinner survived a scare against French qualifier Benjamin Bonzi, losing the first set in a tiebreak before winning 6-7 (6-8) 6-1 6-4.
De Minaur's exit leaves Adam Walton as the only Australian remaining in the men's or women's draw.
