Spanish teen Rafael Jodar has put the tennis world on alert in the build up to the US Open as he threatens to break a 41-year-old ATP record and a first major title becomes an increasingly realistic goal.
Jodar, 19, has been a breakout star on the professional circuit in the absence of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, featuring as the pointy end of several big Masters tournaments.
Rafael Jodar defeated Jiri Lehecka in straight sets. Getty Images
The Spaniard advanced to the quarter-finals at the Canadian Open on Monday, just four days after losing in the final of the Washington Open against American world No.8 Taylor Fritz.
His quarter-final appearance in Montreal makes Jodar one of three teenagers to ever reach three or more consecutive ATP Masters 1000 quarterfinals since 1990. Star Spanish duo Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal are the only others to achieve that feat.
To get to the quarterfinals, Jodar has dismissed world No.13 Lorenzo Musetti and world No.12 Jiri Lehecka. He will face world No.24 Arthur Fils in the quarter-final.
En route to making the final in Montreal, Jodar is on track to improve his ATP ranking and break into the top 10 for the first time in his career.
Jodar needs three wins to climb into the top 10, with a tournament victory in Montreal guaranteed to get him there. He is currently ranked 15th in the world.
A move into the top 10 would be the cherry on top of what has been an insane run this calendar year. He was ranked 168th in the world in January.
If he is to climb into the top 10, Jodar will become the fastest player in the sport’s history to transition from breaking into the top 100 to breaking into the top 10.
Boris Becker, former world No.1, holds that record. He climbed from top 100 to top 10 in 210 days. Jodar is on track to do it in a span as short as 140 days.
Jodar will not face the two top-ranked stars, Sinner and Alcaraz, in the men’s draw in Montreal, with the two outstanding players in men’s tennis battling lingering injuries.
Sinner has not taken to the court since defeating Alexander Zverev to win the Wimbledon men’s final last month, and is managing a knee injury,
The world No.1 was registered to compete at the Cincinnati Open but later withdrew. He expects to be fit for the US Open.
World No.2 Carlos Alcaraz is also out of the Cincinnati Open as he continues to recover from a wrist injury. He has not played any tournament since April.
It is unclear if Alcaraz will be fit for the US Open later this month.
The Cincinnati Open is scheduled to begin from August 16, with the US Open main draw to follow that tournament from August 30.