As Rafael Jódar slowly trudged from the court, he could only bring himself to wave at his adoring crowd for no more than a millisecond. The 19-year-old was appropriately devastated after he had come within two points of victory on numerous occasions before losing 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-3 in the fourth round of the Cincinnati Open to an excellent Flavio Cobolli. No matter, Jódar departs Ohio having further solidified himself as the subject of so much conversation on the ATP Tour.
This has been a turbulent and unpredictable year in men’s tennis, largely thanks to Carlos Alcaraz’s extended injury layoff. The one certainty through it all has been the imperious rise of Jódar. After a short period competing at the University of Virginia, Jódar started to play regularly on the tour only in May last year.
In August 2025, he was ranked No 540. He began the 2026 season at No 165. Over the past four months, Jódar has won his first ATP title in Marrakech, he reached another final in Washington, he powered to his first grand slam quarter-final at Roland Garros and at Masters 1000 level he has reached a semi-final and two quarter-finals.
With the exception of the grass-court season, where he struggled with an abdominal strain, Jódar’s consistency has been astounding for someone who only just arrived at the top level of the sport. He has risen from No 109 to his current ranking of No 11 and he is seventh in the ATP race, a clear candidate for the ATP finals in his first full season as a professional tennis player. After reaching his first Masters 1000 semi-final in Montreal just over a week ago, a tournament many viewers thought he would win, the madness continued in Ohio.
Jódar showed his toughness in a spectacular comeback win over Denis Shapovalov in the second round, recovering from 5-1 down late at night to win. Then he laid waste the 22nd seed, Alejandro Tabilo, in round three. It took one of the best performances since his run to the French Open final from Cobolli, the seventh seed, to defeat him.
At a lanky 6ft 3in, Jódar is already one of the most devastating shot-makers on the tour, capable of generating immense pace off both wings. Like Jannik Sinner, what separates the Spaniard from the rest of the field is the fact that so much of his pace is a result of his immaculate timing. His ability to change the direction of the ball off both wings is elite, as is his return of serve.
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