Rafael Jodar joins exclusive list with Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal after latest Barcelona win
Rafael Jodar is quickly making a name for himself on the ATP Tour. The 19-year-old Spaniard only turned pro this year, but he’s already being talked about as one of the top young players on the rise.
Photo by Mauricio Paiz/NurPhoto via Getty Images Rafael Jodar is quickly making a name for himself on the ATP Tour. The 19-year-old Spaniard only turned pro this year, but he’s already being talked about as one of the top young players on the rise. He picked up his first ATP title in Marrakech not long ago, and has carried that momentum into the Barcelona Open.
Jodar started his Barcelona campaign with a comfortable 6-1, 6-2 win over Jaume Munar, then followed it up by reaching the quarter-finals after seeing off Camilo Ugo Carabelli 6-3, 6-3. Even at just 19 years old, Jodar is already carving out a place for himself in Spanish tennis history. Rafael Jodar joins Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz in the Barcelona Open record books Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images Jodar has become just the third Spanish teenager to make it to the quarter-finals of the Barcelona Open.
The 19-year-old joins Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal in an exclusive group. They’re the only other Spaniards to have reached that stage of the tournament before turning 20. Nadal first did it in 2005, then repeated the feat a year later, winning the title both times.
He went on to become an 11-time champion at the event. Alcaraz matched that achievement in 2022, beating Kwon-soon Woo and Jaume Munar on his way to a first quarter-final appearance. He didn’t stop there either, eventually lifting the trophy after defeating Pablo Carreno Busta in straight sets.