Rafael Jodar Reminds David Ferrer of Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal: “He Represents the Future of Spanish Tennis”

Rafael Jodar made his tour-level debut in January this season and has already become a top 15 player. The Spaniard is in Montreal for the Canadian Open, prior to which he played his career’s first ATP 500 final.

At the Citi Open, Jodar lost in straight sets to Taylor Fritz. It was also the second time he played a tour-level final following the Grand Prix Hassan II, where he beat Marco Trungelliti.

The 19-year-old is one of the most consistent players on the tour this year, having made deep runs in every clay-court event, including at the French Open, where he lost to eventual runner-up Alexander Zverev. The tennis world is now expecting great things from the player from Spain, the country that produced Grand Slam champions like Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz.

Jodar, in fact, reminds Spain’s Davis Cup captain, David Ferrer, of Nadal and Alcaraz. During his interview with El Larguero, a program broadcast on Cadena SER, Ferrer said:

We, who have always been involved in tennis, already knew Rafa’s path, but it’s true that this year he’s done something extraordinary. He’s broken into the top 20 in the world by beating top-level players. Along with Carlos Alcaraz, he represents the future of Spanish tennis.

On the clay swing, Jodar, following his win in Marrakech, lost to eventual champion Arthur Fils in the semifinal of the Barcelona Open. He made the quarterfinals of both the Madrid Open and the Italian Open, losing to eventual champion Jannik Sinner and Luciano Darderi, respectively.

He’s not afraid. He reminds me a lot of Rafa Nadal when he was 17, and also Carlos. They are those players who, despite being very young, don’t suffer from the pressure of being on stage. It’s a really rare quality at 19 or 20. Nadal, Alcaraz, and now Jodar have managed to overcome those mental barriers right from the start, and it’s exciting to see a player like that.

David Ferrer added

Alcaraz hasn’t played since withdrawing from the Barcelona Open, where he injured his wrist during the opening round.

Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from the Cincinnati Masters

Carlos Alcaraz was expected to make his much-awaited comeback at the Cincinnati Masters, which will start on August 13. But Alcaraz chose to delay his comeback and withdrew from the tournament, where last year he received a walkover from defending champion Jannik Sinner in the final.

German Abril, a journalist based in Murcia, revealed why the seven-time Grand Slam champion withdrew from the seventh Masters 1000 of the season.

It’s a decision that was carefully thought out over time, not made overnight. The recovery is progressing favorably, but by race times it would arrive very tight to compete in Cincy, and it’s about not taking any risks at any step, especially with the US Open so close on the calendar.

German Abril wrote on X

Es una decisión meditada con tiempo, no tomada de la noche a la mañana. La evolución es favorable, pero por tiempos llegaría muy justo para competir en Cincy y se trata de no arriesgar en ningún paso, más aún con el US Open tan cerca en el calendario. https://t.co/dID8SwBr1u

— Germán R. Abril (@gerebit0) August 4, 2026

And now, there’s doubt about his participation at the US Open, where he beat defending champion Sinner last year. Because of the injury, the 23-year-old missed both the French Open and Wimbledon.

At Wimbledon, Alexander Zverev progressed beyond the quarterfinal for the first time and, in fact, reached the final, where he lost in four sets to Sinner. His run to the final saw him remove Alcaraz from the No.2 spot.

But the reigning French Open champion has once again dropped to the No.3 spot in the live rankings as he is competing at the Canadian Open, where last year he reached the semifinals. Sinner comfortably sits at the top. The Italian ace dethroned Alcaraz from the No.1 spot after winning the Monte-Carlo Masters.

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