Rafael Jodar Chooses Not to Reveal Whether He’s Set to Hire Juan Carlos Ferrero as His Coach

If there’s one rising star who has impressed the most this season, it’s Rafael Jodar. The Spaniard is competing at the Shanghai Masters, where he made his debut with a three-set win over Thiago Agustin Tirante.

This year, the 19-year-old is competing on the tour for the first time in his career. In the six Masters 1000s that he played before entering Shanghai, Jodar reached the semifinals of the Canadian Open and the quarterfinals of the Madrid Open and the Italian Open.

He has already played two tour-level finals, winning the Grand Prix Hassan II by defeating Marco Trungelliti and losing the Washington Open to home favorite Taylor Fritz. At present, Jodar is working under the guidance of his father.

So when Juan Carlos Ferrero revealed his decision to be back on the tour as a coach next year without revealing whose entourage he will join, Jodar’s name often came up in discussions about who the 2003 French Open champion would coach next. When Jodar was asked at the press conference in Shanghai about the prospect of hiring the former World No.1 as his coach, he said:

Right now, I’m going to focus on my next match. After this, I have two more tournaments, three in case I get selected for the Davis Cup for Spain, which will be a tournament that I am very motivated about. Then there’s about a month to think about the next season and to get ready for the next season. I know I played a lot this year, but that’s a good reason, because I’ve done well in most of the tournaments, so I’m happy about that.

In another interview, however, Ferrero said his quotes were taken out of context and that he has not yet signed a contract. He has also made it clear that he will only join a player’s team if the partnership excites him.

It’s the first season, so it’s still a lot of things to improve and to learn this first season. When I finish the first season, I will be able to kind of analyze what I have to play next year and next season, and how I should approach the calendar and the schedule for me. The first season, I cannot, you know, drop a tournament. It’s new for me, so I just have to discover them. The second season, I can select what tournaments I should play.

Rafael Jodar added

Ferrero split with Carlos Alcaraz last December due to failed contract negotiations. Under Ferrero, Alcaraz won 24 tour-level titles, including six Grand Slam titles.

Rafael Jodar will face Jiri Lehecka in the third round

Before arriving in Shanghai, Rafael Jodar competed at the Japan Open, where his run ended in the opening round. The fourth seed lost to an unseeded Adolfo Daniel Vallejo Alvarez.

In the final of the ATP 500 event in Japan, Carlos Alcaraz defeated Jiri Lehecka in straight sets, defending his title as well as winning his fourth title of the season. It’s Lehecka whom Jodar will be facing in the third round of the ongoing event.

The two have already faced each other in the fourth round of this year’s Canadian Open, which Jodar won in straight sets. Before setting up the clash with the Spaniard, the Czech ace went past Nuno Borges in the opening round.

Lehecka has already played two finals this season. Before his defeat to Alcaraz in Tokyo, he lost the Miami Open final to World No.1 Jannik Sinner. He is a two-time ATP singles winner, lifting titles at the 2024 Adelaide International and the 2025 Brisbane International.

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