Jódar celebrating his victory over Arnaldi / EFE
Rafa Jódar continues to captivate the tennis world, and in Rome he delivered another convincing display of both his potential and his current form. Already in the round of 16, the 19-year-old from Madrid passed one of those tests that separate great players from the rest: overcoming a hostile atmosphere and staging a comeback against a red-hot Matteo Arnaldi.
This weighty win propelled the Spaniard into the Top 30 of the ATP rankings, guaranteeing him a seeded spot at Roland Garros. That achievement seemed unthinkable at the start of the season and now gives him a theoretically smoother path than expected just weeks ago.
But Jódar is not looking ahead to Paris just yet. His immediate focus is on Rome, where he faces another “Next Gen” standout in the round of 16: American Learner Tien, who has been a fixture among the world’s top 20-30 for some time.
Tien advanced after beating Alexander Bublik in the third round and now meets Jódar for the second time. Their only previous encounter came at the Next Gen ATP Finals, where the Spaniard won in the group stage. Tien ultimately won that tournament, losing only that one match in the round-robin — the first major hint of the talent that now dazzles the entire tour.
Jódar on his debut in Rome / EFE
**TURIN – A REALISTIC DREAM**
Rafa Jódar’s stunning run on clay has even allowed him to dream of qualifying for the ATP Finals. The goal is ambitious, but no one dares rule him out for Turin, the season’s last big event.
He currently sits 16th in the Race to Turin, less than 300 points behind Flavio Cobolli, who holds the eighth and final qualifying spot.
With 32 wins this season across ATP and Challenger events, the young Madrilenian’s objectives have shifted entirely, now aiming for the highest possible goals on the circuit.
Only Jannik Sinner (34 wins) has more victories at this stage of the season — a clear measure of the magnitude of what Rafa Jódar is achieving.
