‘What a player!’ wrote Jannik Sinner on the TV camera lens after beating Rafael Jodar at the Marid Open. So can the 19-year-old Spaniard become the star attraction at the French Open in the absence of fellow countryman Carlos Alcaraz.
Jodar was ranked outside the top 900 in the rankings around a year ago and still playing college tennis at the University of Virginia.
Since then, he has surged up the rankings, winning three ATP Challenger titles in 2025 and earning tour-level wins at the Australian Open, Miami, Acapulco, Dallas and Delray Beach in 2026.
The Spaniard, who won the 2024 US Open boys’ singles title, has quickly become one of the biggest stars, and there are multiple reasons behind his success including improved serving, and more impressively, the teen has turned into one of the best returners in the sport.
He started the 2026 season at No 168 in the ATP Rankings, but he cracked the top 150 for the first time after the Australian Open before making his top 100 breakthrough after a run to the round of 32 at the Miami Open.
Jodar won his maiden ATP title with victory against veteran Marco Trungelliti at the Grand Prix Hasan II in Morocco before reaching the semi-finals of the Barcelona Open to climb into the top 50 for the first time.
Can Jodar continue his success with just dad in his box?
Jodar’s coach is his father, also named Rafael Jodar. A high school physical education teacher, the elder Jodar played basketball when he was younger
Jodar, currently ranked world No 34, is coached by his father Rafael who tends to be the only person sitting in his box during matches.
Former British doubles star Colin Fleming loves the fact Rafael keeps things simple.
Speaking to Sky Sports he said: “He’s not getting caught up in any fanfare or any hangers on. Just a small team but I wouldn’t be surprised to see his team grow slightly as he develops more in the elite level. Maybe a fitness trainer, maybe a physio. But he looks like someone who is going to keep it simple and I like that.”
Marion Bartoli would like to see the youngster add a fitness coach to his team.
The former Wimbledon champion said: “There are so many resources for a player but access to fitness and physio coaches as well as tennis coach, mental coach, data analyst coach. Sometimes you have boxes of eight to 10 people but having just his dad in his box is working for him.
“I would advise him to bring in a fitness coach because you can tell on the fitness side when it gets intense during matches, he gets a little bit tired. The first person he should add to his team is a fitness coach.”
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Watch Jodar celebrate his Madrid Open win against Jesper De Jong with Real Madrid and England midfielder Jude Bellingham!
Speaking on the Tennis Channel, four-time Grand Slam winner, Jim Courier, said: “I like the simplicity of just having the dad in the box. No fuss and coming out and laying it down. Tennis keeps throwing some goodness at us in the absence of the ‘Big Four’ and Venus and Serena past their primes. This is spectacular.
“It’s almost heart-warming to see his dad all alone on the bench, with no one else. In a world like today’s, where we’re used to seeing huge teams, seeing Jodar Sr there by himself is surprising. Obviously, with time this will change and they’ll bring in more professionals to help, but my applause goes to the Jodar’s, because on their own they’ve made insane progress in just three months.
“It’s scary to think where his ceiling might be when they start surrounding themselves with more professionals and he gets advice from more people in the tennis world.”
That match against Sinner in Madrid
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Highlights of Jodar’s match with Sinner in the quarter-finals of the Madrid Open
In Madrid, Jodar stunned fifth seed Alex de Minaur and fellow youngster Joao Fonseca to reach the quarter-finals, but his fairy-tale run came to an end at the hands of world No 1 Sinner, who was full of praise for the Spaniard.
Fleming said: “I agree with Jannik Sinner. What a player! He is such an explosive player and just 19 years of age but he’s got a big game.
“He’s got a lot of power and that makes me really optimistic about his future. I think as he develops and he gets more experienced, he’s a player that can go right to the top in the game.”
“I thought he played a brilliant match against Sinner in Madrid,” said Bartoli. “The pace he was capable of generating on that backhand side when he could hold the cross-court and then go down the line, which is so hard to do against Sinner because he has the capability to make you go into that backhand corner and expose the down the line.
“The way he was able to redirect that backhand down the line was extraordinary and the way he was able to handle himself under pressure with the roof closed and playing in front of a lot of Real Madrid players, he handled himself beautifully.”
The Spanish star continued his ascent at the Italian Open, where he’s reached another ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final. He’s already inside the top 30 heading into Roland-Garros.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Jannik Sinner said he knew he was in for a tough match against Jodar and felt at times he needed to level up to finish points early
What are his strengths and where can he improve?
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Highlights of a jaw-dropping Madrid Open clash between Jodar and Joao Fonseca
The 6ft 4in Madrid native is part of a new generation of players along with Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev, and Sinner is being lean and mean.
“His strengths are his physicality and he is very, very tall but he moves extremely well. He’s part of that new generation of players that are very lean, very tall but can move extremely well, that are very good athletes,” said Bartoli.
“He’s never rushing the point which is very interesting. he’s looking to take the ball early but you can never feel that he’s overplaying and that’s why he’s been able to beat so many very good players already.
“The small part he can potentially improve and he will look forward to doing that which is being able to sustain the pace a little bit longer. When he played against Arthur Fils in Barcelona he ran a bit out of steam after winning the first set so we shall see. I’m sure he will look at that data and look at where he can improve as all the players are doing but for a 19-year-old he is a very, very good prospect.”
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Highlights of Jodar’s ATP Italian Open match Learner Tien where he became first teenager to reach the quarter-finals n Rome since Novak Djokovic in 2007!
How far can Jodar go?
“It’s exciting for me how high his ceiling might be,” said Fleming. “I think certainly into the top 10 because he’s capable of mixing it with the top players in the game. Very hard without a crystal ball to say he’s going to be world No 1 and win a Slam but I think he’s capable of doing that.”
Bartoli: “I think we will see him in the top 10 very quickly. In two years time he can reach that range between seven and 10 in the world.”
Watch the ATP and WTA Tours, live on Sky Sports or stream with NOW and the Sky Sports app, giving Sky Sports customers access to over 50 per cent more live sport this year at no extra cost. Find out more here.
