Rafael Jodar has reached his first Masters 1000 semi-final at the Canadian Open in Montreal, propelling him up the ATP rankings from No. 395 just under a year ago to No. 11 in the live rankings. The 19-year-old Spaniard is now closing in on a historic top 10 debut.
Quarter-Final Victory and Recent Form
Jodar beat Arthur Fils 7-6(5) 6-3 in Tuesday's quarter-final, a match postponed from Monday evening due to rain. The teenager has won eight of his last nine matches, including a runner-up finish in Washington last week before heading to Canada.
After dropping the first set in his opening match against Corentin Moutet, Jodar has won eight sets in a row, with victories over Lorenzo Musetti, Jiri Lehecka, and Fils.
Rankings Rise and Nadal Inspiration
Jodar has often been compared to his countryman Rafael Nadal, who won 22 Grand Slam titles and spent 209 weeks at No. 1. Nadal has been a big inspiration to Jodar, who was ranked No. 395 on the week of August 18 last year.
Jodar will face Brandon Nakashima for a place in the final. Despite his rapid rise, the Madrid-born star insists he is not focused on the rankings: "My goal is still the same, to improve, to discover all the tournaments in my first year on the tour and to play a lot of matches, if it's possible because of the results. And that's it."
Record Chase and Tough Road
Jodar is on course to beat Boris Becker's record for the shortest time between top 100 and top 10 debuts. In 1985, Becker took 210 days; Jodar could do it in 140 depending on his results in Montreal, or he will likely crack the top 10 by the end of the North American hard-court swing.
He says his rise hasn't been easy: "I think it's very tough. It's not because I am doing well in this type of events, it's easy. No, it's super difficult."
Rivals' Praise
Jodar previously attended the University of Virginia. Fellow former college star Ben Shelton said: "I've been super impressed with Rafa, the way that he's come out on tour. I didn't expect there to be another college guy within three years who was 500 in the world and then top 20 within a year. He's probably going to be top 10 and outdo me, or what I did in 2023."
Nakashima, who also attended the University of Virginia, added: "Rafa, I mean, he's a good friend of mine. So it's been amazing to see his rise to the top and becoming one of the best players in the world right now."
