"He didn’t come out of nowhere, he’s ahead of Taylor Fritz in year-to-date": The next Spanish star as Rafael Jodar lauded by Roddick and Wertheim
ATPWednesday, 29 April 2026 at 06:30
Andy Roddick and Jon Wertheim used their Served podcast to break down the rapid rise of Spanish teenager Rafael Jodar, following a breakthrough run at the Madrid Open that has placed him firmly on the ATP radar.
Jodar’s surge has come through a string of statement wins, defeating Jesper de Jong, Alex de Minaur, João Fonseca, and Vit Kopriva, to set up a quarter-final showdown with Jannik Sinner in Madrid.
“There’s finally a good player from Spain”
Roddick opened with a blunt, tongue-in-cheek reaction to Jodar’s emergence. “There’s finally a good player from Spain, thank goodness, it’s about time, it’s so annoying,” he said on Served.
The timing, he noted, made it even more striking. Just hours after Carlos Alcaraz’s injury announcement, Spain suddenly had a new teenage breakout defeating elite opposition.
Beating elite players changes everything
Roddick emphasised how Jodar’s wins reshape expectations, particularly his victory over Alex de Minaur and follow-up success against João Fonseca. “You look for certain scorelines against certain types of players. If a 19-year-old comes up and takes out someone like de Minaur 3 and 2, you go, ‘Oh, shit,’” he said.
“You’re not beating de Minaur on craftiness or consistency alone. There has to be an elite skill set.”
For Roddick, the combination of wins, now including Jesper de Jong, de Minaur, Fonseca, and Vit Kopriva en route to a Madrid quarter-final, signals something deeper than form. “This kid is rolling, it’s the real deal.”
He also highlighted the statistical context of Jodar’s start: “He has 17 wins in his first 25 ATP matches. That’s a better start than Nadal, Federer, Djokovic, Alcaraz, Sinner and Fonseca.”
“This feels clinical, not streaky”
Wertheim added perspective on just how quickly Jodar has emerged on the tour. “He’s top 20 in the rolling rankings,” he said. “He’s from Madrid, he’s playing in Madrid, it’s a breakthrough moment.”
But he stressed the consistency behind the results: “He didn’t come out of nowhere. He’s ahead of Taylor Fritz in year-to-date metrics. What a smooth transition from college. What a revelation.”
Roddick agreed after watching him live in Dallas: “Every ball comes off hot, but not forced. It’s like a slingshot swing, long levers, easy power.”
What stood out most was the stability: “It doesn’t feel like a hot streak, it feels extremely reliable. Clinical. Like this is just the way he is.”
Rafael Jodar plays Sinner today.
A rare physical and technical profile
Both analysts described Jodar as an unusual player physically and stylistically. “He’s around 6'3", not bulky, just easy power, smooth, lots of juice,” Wertheim noted.
Roddick added: “The key is whether he can consistently get into position to use that power. And right now, it’s syncing up.”
He pointed to the progression over recent months: “In February it looked court-speed dependent. By late April and May, everything is clicking.”
From college tennis to ATP breakthrough
Jodar’s path also stood out for its structure and independence, including a short spell at UVA before turning fully professional.
Wertheim explained: “He had a freshman year at UVA and then essentially said, ‘We’re good.’”
He also highlighted the unusual coaching setup: “It’s listed as the UVA coach and his father. His dad is not a former player. So you’ve got no agent, just his father in the box.”
That led to a broader question: “So where’s the professionalism and court sense coming from? It’s unusual, but he’s got it.”
Nadal comparisons and rising expectations
Wertheim also addressed speculation around Jodar’s background: “He’s not named after Rafa Nadal, despite the rumours.”
Roddick noted the broader ripple effect on his peers: “Fonseca is probably thinking, ‘Wait, I thought I was the hot 19-year-old.’”
And with Jodar still only 19, and set to remain so through the US Open, the trajectory is only beginning.
“A little bit of edge is a good thing”
Roddick and their producer also uncovered a small detail from Jodar’s junior days: “He once got kicked out of a college tournament for throwing a ball at a fence in frustration.”
Roddick approved of the competitiveness: “I like that, a little bit of feeling, a little bit of match heat.”
“Don’t overreact, but this is real”
Despite the excitement, both were careful not to rush judgment. Roddick cautioned: “If he loses a tough five-setter at Roland Garros, don’t go crazy, you don’t get anointed, you earn it.”
But he acknowledged the bigger picture: “We’re looking for the next group. Everything begins and ends with Alcaraz and Sinner, then it’s who joins them.”
“One of the most exciting moments in tennis”
Wertheim closed with a broader reflection: “I don’t know that I’ve ever seen tennis in a worse place, when we also have great prospects like this coming through.”
For both analysts, Jodar represents exactly that contradiction, a sport still dominated by established stars, but already witnessing the rapid arrival of its next generation.
And for Roddick, the takeaway was simple: “This doesn’t feel like a hot streak, it feels real.”
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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