Rafael Jodar has been the story of the clay court season so far, after winning 11 of his first 12 matches on the surface.
Jodar defeated Joao Fonseca in Madrid to confirm his place in the round of 16 of the Spanish Masters tournament.
The Spaniard had already beaten Alex de Minaur, which followed an ATP 250 victory in Morocco and a semi-final appearance at the Barcelona Open.
After establishing himself as a potential contender on the ATP Tour, Brad Gilbert has had his say on the Spaniard.
What has impressed Brad Gilbert the most about Rafael Jodar
Jodar has climbed over 700 places on the ATP Tour in the last 12 months and he is on the cusp of Roland Garros seeding after his remarkable performances on the European clay court swing.
Gilbert, who has coached the likes of Coco Gauff and Andy Murray in his esteemed career, is stunned by Jodar’s rise.
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In a video posted to social media, the American tennis coach waxed lyrical about Jodar’s recent performances.
“Maybe the coolest thing so far about Jodar is how unassuming he is,” said Gilbert about the Spanish teenager.
“Dad is his coach;, in he spent a year at Virginia. Yesterday, his hometown, obviously, he must have had family and friends in the stadium, but in his box, just one person. His dad, his coach. No trainer, no physio, no big team yet. Very small, tight team.”
Gilbert also highlighted Jodar’s exceptional racket speed, on both his forehand and backhand.
“He just rips the ball. His forehand and backhand speed, I know it’s an early sample size, but I’ve been saying for the last six weeks, especially on clay, I think he hits the ball as hard as anybody.
“I still want to see him sitting courtside, but every time I watch him, I’m really impressed with what I’m seeing.”
Jodar will play Vit Kopriva in the round of 16 of the Madrid Open, with the winner likely being rewarded with a match against Jannik Sinner.
Where Rafael Jodar is ranked after his recent performances
After picking up 11 victories from 12 matches, Jodar has soared up the rankings and he is now surrounded by some very big names on the ATP Tour.
Jodar currently sits at world number 34 on the ATP Tour rankings, nestled in between Ugo Humbert and Denis Shapovalov.
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The Spaniard likely needs to beat Kopriva in Madrid to join the top 32 and earn seeded entry into Roland Garros.
Seeded entry will guarantee Jodar will not have to play another player ranked inside the top 32 in the early rounds of the Grand Slam.
Kopriva currently sits outside the top 50 of the rankings, so Jodar will be the favourite heading into the match.
