{"id":356515,"date":"2025-12-18T18:35:15","date_gmt":"2025-12-18T18:35:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/356515\/"},"modified":"2025-12-18T18:35:15","modified_gmt":"2025-12-18T18:35:15","slug":"martin-landaluce-rafael-jodar-from-madrid-mates-to-next-gen-atp-finals-contenders-atp-tour","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/356515\/","title":{"rendered":"Martin Landaluce & Rafael Jodar: From Madrid mates to Next Gen ATP Finals contenders | ATP Tour"},"content":{"rendered":"

Next Gen ATP Finals
\n Landaluce & Jodar: From Madrid mates to Jeddah contenders<\/p>\n

Spaniards, who grew up playing together, share stage in Next Gen ATP Finals debut<\/p>\n

December 18, 2025<\/p>\n

\"Martin<\/p>\n

Corinne Dubreuil\/ATP Tour<\/p>\n

Martin Landaluce and Rafael Jodar are both making their debuts at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF.
\n By Jerome Coombe<\/p>\n

The buzz around the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF couldn\u2019t feel further removed from the red clay courts tucked away in Madrid, but for Martin Landaluce and Rafael Jodar, the connection is unmistakable.<\/p>\n

Both Spaniards were born in 2006, both grew up at the club in the Spanish capital \u2014 Chanmartin Tennis Club \u2014 and both have been orbiting each other since they were nine years old. Their journeys haven\u2019t always been run side by side, but fittingly, they\u2019ve crossed again on one of the biggest stages of their young careers: grouped together at the 20-and-under showpiece in Jeddah.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s fun because we’ve known each other since we were nine years old, and he’s been a good friend of mine,\u201d Landaluce told ATPTour.com, reflecting on his relationship with Jodar. \u201cWe played many, many times and we were in many tournaments together.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was a time I distanced a bit more to play in better tournaments, but now we are back together here in Jeddah, and it’s nice to have him here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Their story is one of shared beginnings but rather separate detours. Landaluce committed early to the professional path, leaving Madrid at 14 to train at the Rafa Nadal Academy. The exposure paid off quickly and at 16, he won the 2022 US Open boys\u2019 singles title, a result that put him firmly on the radar.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Jodar \u2014 who stands one inch shorter than Landaluce at 6’3\u201c \u2014 took a more measured route. Yet two years later, he carved his name onto the same US Open trophy as Landaluce with his 2024 triumph, adding another shared chapter to their story.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I won the 2022 US Open, I think he [Jodar] thought, \u2018If he does it, why am I not able to do it?\u2019,\u201d Landaluce said. \u201cThen he won it last year, and it’s so good to have this. I think we both are pushing each other, and it’s nice to have a Spaniard here, who is also from Madrid and he’s also from my club.\u201d<\/p>\n

You May Also Like: Budkov Kjaer, Landaluce & old scores to settle in Jeddah<\/a><\/p>\n

After triumphing at Flushing Meadows, Jodar headed straight into college tennis at the University of Virginia, where he is now a sophomore. In 2025, the 19-year-old blended the structure of the NCAA with a late-season surge on the ATP Challenger Tour, where he won three titles and catapulted over 700 spots in the PIF ATP Rankings to World No. 168.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt feels very good to be back here as a player,\u201d said Jodar, who served as a hitting partner in Jeddah last year. \u201cWhen I was here hitting with these players last year, I was thinking to myself that maybe one day I was going to make it, and fortunately, things were very good this year. At the end of the season, I had very good results and that gave me the opportunity to play here in Jeddah.\u201d<\/p>\n

Last year\u2019s 20-and-under event already felt like a preview of what was to come. Landaluce missed the cut by a single spot and attended as an alternate, while Jodar was present as a hitting partner, soaking it all in and getting a close-up look at the level required.<\/p>\n

Twelve months on and the roles have changed considerably: Landaluce returns not on standby, but as the fourth seed, and Jodar is no longer confined to the practice courts, but in the field as one of the fastest-rising players of 2025.<\/p>\n

While their paths have differed, their inspirations are very much shared. Nadal remains the benchmark and meeting the 22-time major champion in Jeddah last year was a childhood moment realised. And, like so many young Spaniards, both have drawn motivation from Carlos Alcaraz\u2019s ascent to World No. 1.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe’ve had many good Spanish players,\u201d Jodar said. \u201cWhen Rafa Nadal was finishing his career, Alcaraz came to keep winning Grand Slams for Spain. It’s a great feeling to see Spanish players winning major titles, and I’m super happy how things are going for Alcaraz, he’s a great person.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, the two Madrid natives find themselves back where it all began \u2014 together, competing at the same event, pushing each other once more. From shared junior tournaments to different milestones, from alternates and hitting partners to seeded contenders, Landaluce and Jodar have arrived in Jeddah as peers inside the world\u2019s Top 200.<\/p>\n

The setting may be new, but the story feels familiar.<\/p>\n

The Spaniards find themselves in a tough Blue Group, which also features top seed and last year\u2019s finalist Learner Tien and four-time Challenger champion in 2025 Nicolai Budkov Kjaer.<\/p>\n

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