Rafael Jodar reaches French Open quarterfinals on debut before losing to Zverev

Rafael Jodar reached the French Open quarterfinals in 2026 on his main-draw debut before losing to Alexander Zverev, who went on to win the title. The 19-year-old arrived at Queen's Club ranked world number 23 after entering the top 100 in March and claiming his first ATP Tour title in Marrakech in April. Jodar turned professional in 2025 after playing college tennis in the United States.

Twelve months earlier he stood outside the top 800 and had never appeared on the main ATP Tour or in a Grand Slam match. He reached the Barcelona semifinals and the Madrid quarterfinals, where he lost to world number one Jannik Sinner. He became the fifth man this century to reach the Roland Garros quarterfinals on his main-draw debut.

Jodar is scheduled to compete at Wimbledon next, where he has never played an ATP Tour-level match on grass and has never visited London. "When I was younger I could never imagine that I would one day be here," Jodar told BBC Sport at Queen's. " Both his father and grandfather were named Rafael.

Jodar said Rafael Nadal has been a role model since childhood and that he received advice during a conversation with the 22-time major winner. Nadal won the Wimbledon men's singles title in 2008, defeating Roger Federer in the final. In ITF tournaments Jodar posted a 90 percent win record on grass in 2024, winning nine of ten matches.

His only defeat came in the Wimbledon boys' singles quarterfinal against Japan's Naoya Honda. He captured the 2024 Roehampton junior title without dropping a set. Jodar ranks second on the ATP Tour in return rating behind Sinner.

0 percent of first-serve return points, ahead of Sinner and behind only Mariano Navone. 6 percent. His ATP "under pressure" rating, which combines break points converted, break points saved, and tie-breaks and deciding sets won, is better than all but nine players on the men's tour and better than five of the top 10.