Record-equaling Rafael Jodar steals the show with upset of De Minaur in Madrid Open

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Rafael Jodar’s impressive start to life on the ATP Tour carried on with a fine win over Alex de Minaur.

The Spaniard is already building a reputation as one of the most consistent players on clay, winning 10 of his first 11 matches on the surface.

The Spanish teenager took care of De Minaur in straight sets and will now face Joao Fonseca in round three.

There was already plenty of hype surrounding Jodar before he made his mark at the senior level, but there has been even more excitement after he stepped up and won three consecutive matches at Masters 1000 tournaments while still only 18 years old.

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Rafael Jodar matches Jannik Sinner’s milestone with latest win

Rafael Jodar is participating in the Madrid Open as a wildcard, but given his recent performances, it’s unlikely he’ll need many more of those opportunities in the near future.

The 18-year-old is already ranked number 36 in the world, and his latest win as a wildcard has drawn comparisons to an early achievement by Jannik Sinner on the ATP Tour.

As noted by OptaAce, Jodar is now the youngest wildcard to beat a top 10 player at a Masters 1000 event since Sinner did so back in 2020. That year, Sinner was still 19 when he upset Stefanos Tsitsipas at the Italian Open.

Sinner also defeated Benoit Paire at that tournament before losing a three-set match to Grigor Dimitrov in the third round.

How Rafael Jodar’s Madrid Open run could go even further

Jodar was handed a favourable draw at the Madrid Open, and after seeing off de Minaur, he’s now in a strong position to push on for a quarter-final spot.