Rafa Jodar joins Nadal and Alcaraz on elite Spanish teen list

Photo by Mauricio Paiz/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Rafa Jodar’s rise through the ATP ranks has been hard to miss. The young Spaniard has strung together seven straight wins and is looking to make it two titles in as many weeks.

When you look at tennis nations, few have the depth of Spain. Not only do they have a long list of Grand Slam winners, but they’ve also produced legends like Rafael Nadal and rising stars like Carlos Alcaraz.

Now, Jodar is starting to put himself in that conversation. He’s already hit a milestone both Nadal and Alcaraz reached early on, which says a lot about where he could be headed. His next opponent, Arthur Fils, will be well aware of what he’s up against.

Rafa Jodar matches achievements of Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz

Photo by Mauricio Paiz/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Jodar, now 19, finds himself in rare company among Spanish tennis players. While a few have hit similar milestones at his age, it’s the names of Alcaraz and Nadal that naturally stand out.

He’s the newest addition to a short list of teenagers who’ve made it to the Barcelona Open semi-finals, joining not only those two but also Alex Corretja and Carlos Moya.

That’s impressive company for someone fresh off a title in Marrakesh. Still, this run at home is turning into the most significant chapter of his young career so far.

“I don’t know what’s going on in Spain right now, but they have so many young talents,” Fils said. “There’s Carlos, of course, but even when he’s not there they have kids like Jodar who hits the ball incredibly well.”

“It’s impressive what he is doing. You can see he has great potential,” added Fils. “This week is showing just how strong he can become.”