Rising Spanish tennis star Rafael Jodar has continued his dream debut at the Madrid Open by setting up a blockbuster quarter-final clash with world No. 1 Jannik Sinner. The 19-year-old, who was ranked outside the world's top 500 just a year ago, defeated Vit Kopriva 7-5, 6-0 to reach his first Masters quarter-final.
Jodar's Remarkable Rise
Jodar's stunning ascent has seen the Madrid local win 12 of his last 13 matches on clay, including a title in Marrakech and a run to the Barcelona semi-finals last week. In November, he was still ranked outside the world's top 200, but the teenager is now set to be seeded for the French Open and could potentially break into the world's top 30 by Monday.
Historic Achievement
Jodar becomes the third Spanish teenager to reach the Madrid quarter-finals, following Rafael Nadal's 2005 run and Carlos Alcaraz, who achieved the feat twice as a teenager in 2022 and 2023. He secured his first top-10 win by beating Alex de Minaur 6-3, 6-1 in the second round, then backed that up with a 7-6, 4-6, 6-1 victory over fellow 19-year-old Joao Fonseca.
The Sinner Challenge
Before facing Sinner, Jodar must attempt to end the Italian's 20-match win streak at Masters events. Sinner advanced after defeating Britain's Cameron Norrie earlier on Tuesday. Jodar's match against Kopriva was given top billing in Madrid, with Sinner moved to a morning slot to accommodate him. The pair will take centre stage on Wednesday afternoon at 3pm UK time.
“Playing at home is always special and I’m super happy with how this week is going for me,” Jodar told Sky Sports. “It will be a great match. It will be my first time playing against Jannik so I hope I can give my best level.”
Sinner's Perspective
Sinner was spotted watching Jodar earlier in the tournament, taking a court-side seat for his win over De Minaur. After his own victory over Norrie, Sinner commented on the upcoming match: "It's not gonna be the only time we face each other. That's my feeling. It would be good if I face him before bigger tournaments coming up, Rome and Roland Garros. These are unique conditions here, he is from Madrid so he is used to the conditions. But at the same time I can have good feedback for bigger tournaments coming up. It's very exciting. He's a big, big talent."
