The first name is useful. Cries of “Vamos, Rafa!” reverberate from the fans as a fist-pumping Spaniard scurries over the Roland Garros clay, slamming two-handed backhands into the corners. It doesn’t bring you back in half.
Rafael Jodar was still 15 months away from being born when Rafael Nadal won the first of his 14 French Opens in 2005.
However, Spain had their next big clay-court hope to support in the absence of the injured Carlos Alcaraz.
Unlike his 19-year-old namesake on Friday, Nadal seldom put his supporters through the ordeal in Paris.
In just his third match at Roland Garros, Jodar defeated 21-year-old American Alex Michelsen in a four-hour, five-set epic to secure his spot in the fourth round, where he will play fellow countryman Pablo Carreno Busta on Saturday. Nadal has only been taken the distance three times in his entire Roland Garros career.
But there’s no denying that this boy is already an expert in clay. He has won eighteen of his twenty-one Tour-level matches on the surface. Over his first 20 games, only Andy Roddick won more. Jodar has more victories than Roger Federer (16), Nadal (13), Alcaraz (13), and Novak Djokovic (10).
Rafael Jodar won five sets at the French Open on Friday to thunderous applause.
The Spanish teenager aspires to be like Rafa Nadal and has won 18 of his 21 clay-court matches at the Tour level.
This duel of the emerging stars was so exciting that there was not a single seat in the sun on Court Simone-Mathieu, the lovely court surrounded by greenhouses, despite the 34ºC heat and rising humidity.
Jodar had to overcome a set deficit, but like Alcaraz, he possesses the elusive ability that all elite players possess—the ability to perform at his best during the most crucial moments.
In the final, he smashed a forehand to the opposing corner after making a merciless double-handed backhand into one corner to take a 5-3 lead. After four hours and sixteen minutes of giving his all, Michelsen eventually slumped his shoulders and lowered his head.
Jodar dropped his racquet to the floor and gestured to his head after delivering the decisive stroke. His focus is unlike anything they have ever witnessed at such a young age, according to those who have worked with him. “Until you complete the final point, the match is not over,” Jodar stated.
“I was able to turn this match around because of my mindset during the fourth and fifth sets.”
There is serious discussion that this Spanish teenager could make it all the way after Jannik Sinner’s defeat blew the draw wide open.
Before advancing to the quarterfinals in Madrid and Rome and the semifinals in Barcelona, Jodar had previously won a championship in Marrakech.
After Alcaraz withdrew due to injury on the eve of the competition, the hometown lad seized center stage and advanced to the final eight, where only Sinner could defeat him. It was in Madrid that this prodigy was launched into celebrity.
Despite having persistent foot problems for the majority of his career, Rafael Nadal won the French Open 14 times.
Even Jodar’s favorite football player, Jude Bellingham, saw him from courtside.
In honor of the midfielder’s signature celebration, Jodar turned to Bellingham and stood with his arms outstretched, signing “Hey Jude” in front of the TV camera after rallying from a set down to overcome Dutchman Jesper de Jong.
He feels comfortable among the celebrities, but being so well-known comes with criticism and occasionally controversy.
A video that appeared to show him pushing a ball girl aside as he departed the floor went viral on social media during his victory. After the game, he was even questioned about it, but it turned out that the ball girl’s trip on the court coverings was the result of bad timing and the camera perspective.
“Nadal was my tennis role model when I was younger,” Jodar remarked. Then, I would say Alcaraz in the final few years prior to being pro. However, I make an effort to go my own way. I strive to grow as a player while maintaining my individuality.
The tournament’s most recent high-profile casualty was eighth-seeded Alex de Minaur, the fiancé of British player Katie Boulter, who was defeated 0-6, 6-2, 6-2, and 6-3 by 26th-seeded Jakub Mensik.
