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<\/p>\n Player Features
\n The rise of Rafael Jodar: ‘He’s the most mature 19-year-old you’re going to meet’<\/p>\n
19-year-old Spaniard competing in a major for the first time<\/p>\n
January 21, 2026<\/p>\n
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Peter Staples\/ATP Tour<\/p>\n
Rafael Jodar is quickly surging towards the Top 100 in the PIF ATP Rankings.
\n By Andrew Eichenholz<\/p>\n
Last July, Carlos Alcaraz<\/a> fell in the Wimbledon<\/a> final to Jannik Sinner<\/a>. It was a difficult defeat for the Spaniard, who despite his disappointment showed perspective.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the last year I’ve been through different situations that I learned from,\u201d Alcaraz said. \u201cRight now I’m in a position that I’ve spoken a few times already that, okay, I just accept everything that is coming to me in the way it comes. Like, okay, I just lost a final in a Grand Slam, but I\u2019m just really proud about being in a final.\u201d<\/p>\n His discussion of acceptance caught the attention of Andres Pedroso<\/a>, the head coach at the University of Virginia. Pedroso sent the video to his team, which included Rafael Jodar<\/a>, the #NextGenATP Spanish star. <\/p>\n \u201cWe believe the best players in the world accept who they are, accept their game styles, they accept their strengths and their weaknesses \u2014 especially their weaknesses \u2014 and they accept all the circumstances that happen in a match,\u201d Pedroso said. \u201cWhen you do a really good job of accepting what happens and who you are, you\u2019re going to do the best job of being totally present for the next point.\u201d<\/p>\n Acceptance remains a key pillar of the Virginia programme, and has stuck with Jodar. After qualifying for a major main draw for the first time at the Australian Open<\/a>, the teen let slip a two-set advantage against fellow 19-year-old Rei Sakamoto<\/a> in the first round. That did not deter Jodar from finishing the job against his Japanese opponent.<\/p>\n \u201cI just try to give my best, try to give the best level I have that day and as Coach Pedroso would say, I just try to accept all things that come,\u201d Jodar told ATPTour.com after the match. \u201cThere are things that you cannot control, but if you have the best mental toughness that day, you can give yourself a chance to win that day.\u201d<\/p>\n Jodar recently turned pro after just one year at UVA, but assistant coach Brian Rasmussen is with him in Australia and he has remained in close contact with Pedroso. Both coaches raved about the 2025 Next Gen ATP Finals competitor’s class on and, importantly, off the court.<\/p>\n The Spaniard came to Virginia as one of the most highly touted recruits in recent memory to the extent that it was unclear if he would simply turn pro. Fresh off the US Open<\/a> boys\u2019 singles title, Jodar was in a new world in college.<\/p>\n \u201cHis transition to the United States was really tough. He\u2019s an only child, he\u2019s lived his whole life in Spain and when he showed up to Virginia, I\u2019m not going to lie, his first couple weeks were tough because it\u2019s just a different environment,\u201d Pedroso recalled. \u201cIt\u2019s a different language, you\u2019re studying in English. College tennis is a completely different sport from junior tennis and pro tennis. He was able to assimilate relatively quickly and from the beginning, his first match was a little bit of a shock to him.\u201d <\/p>\n That match came against Connor Thomson<\/a> of the University of South Carolina, an experienced player who had qualified for the ATP Next Gen Accelerator. With fans screaming in the stands, Jodar was clearly no longer playing junior tennis.<\/p>\n \u201cCollege tennis is a completely different sport with all the yelling and screaming and it\u2019s just a very hectic environment and Rafa was just a fish out of water,\u201d Pedroso said. \u201cHe looked at me a couple times during the match and said, \u2018Coach, where am I? This is a different sport\u2019. The best part about him is he ended up losing the match, but we ended up winning and he was so genuinely happy for the team.\u201d<\/p>\nRafael Jodar, Rafael Nadal<\/a> and Martin Landaluce<\/a>” style=”width:100%;” src=”https:\/\/www.atptour.com\/-\/media\/images\/news\/2026\/01\/21\/12\/16\/jodar-nadal-landaluce-2025.jpg”>
Jodar, Rafael Nadal<\/a> and Martin Landaluce<\/a> at the 2025 Next Gen ATP Finals. Photo: Corinne Dubreuil\/ATP Tour
\u201cHe\u2019s the most mature 19-year-old you\u2019re going to meet out there. He really knows what he wants and that\u2019s the way he was raised,\u201d Pedroso said. \u201cJust a very simple life, working hard, treating people right, doing the right thing and just an all-around good human being, but totally focused on what he wants to do and his dream is to become a world-class pro.\u201d<\/p>\n
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