“I learned a lot”: Rafa Jodar revisits Jannik Sinner Madrid clash after winning in Rome

Rafa Jodar is in the midst of a spring awakening through the 2026 clay-court season on the ATP tour, rocketing up nearly 70 spots in the rankings after winning his first title and reaching his first Masters 1000 quarterfinal at just 19 years of age.

It was in that quarterfinal, at home in Madrid, that Jodar came face to face with world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, who admitted the teenager pushed him to the limits in a hard-fought second set.

“I learned a lot,” Jodar said of playing Sinner after his opening round win at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia. “Playing against one of the best players in the world is always very special. I think there were moments in the match where I competed against him and I was at that level.

“But obviously, if you want to beat these guys, you need to be at that level for two hours, three hours—especially as the match gets longer. You have to be there and you can’t drop the level because they’re always going to be there.”

Jodar showed an elite level throughout a breakthrough week at the Caja Magica, scoring back-to-back victories over No. 5 seed Alex de Minaur and No. 27 seed Joao Fonseca to secure a Top 40 debut.

“It was one of the best tournaments, I could say, of the year,” Jodar told Prakash Amritraj during his visit to the BetMGM Tennis Channel Desk. “I knew it was going to be very special but I didn’t expect it to be that special! I really connected with the crowd, with the people who came to support me. I think it was great. I played great matches and it was a great tournament. But the season is very long and so you just have to be there, recharge your mind, and try to be there again for the next week.”

Making his main-draw debut at the Foro Italico, Jodar is seeded at a Masters for the first time and is in range for a maiden Grand Slam seeding at Roland Garros later this month. An opening-round victory over Nuno Borges helped to all but guarantee that likelihood on Friday when the young Spaniard overcame Borges in straight sets. Rather than a rematch with De Minaur, Jodar will instead play home favorite Matteo Arnaldi, who upset the Aussie in three sets earlier today.

“It’s like, we’re in the clay season,” Jodar said simply, introducing his own variation on namesake Rafael Nadal's famous "What happened in Madrid happened..." monologue. “After Madrid, you have Rome and then you have a week to prepare for French Open. So, you have to recover very well, get your body healthy and try not to get injured. I think that’s the most important thing. Everyone here wants to win. It’s a Masters 1000, so they try to give their best level. I just have to try and be there and if I can, win it.”

And now here we are, in Rome.

Through a meteoric rise, Jodar has relied on support from a solid team, one that includes his father—also named Rafael.

“It’s a great connection, and it’s great to have him in the good but more importantly in the bad moments,” Jodar said. “He’s always there when I need him. He’s always trying to help me and that’s very important. I’m super grateful he’s able to travel with me to all the tournaments and that he’s there because I know it’s not easy to be with the same person for a long time. But I think he’s doing a great job and I’m super grateful he’s in my corner.”

Jodar will take on Arnaldi for a spot in the fourth round this weekend; in the opposite half of the draw from Sinner, the youngster can’t face the top seed again before the final, but he could take on No. 2 seed Alexander Zverev should both reach the quarterfinals.