Rafael Jodar defeated Alex de Minaur, 6-3, 6-1, in the second round of the Madrid Open.
Picking up the biggest win of his professional career, 19-year-old Jodar made light work of the world number eight.
The Spaniard was excellent from start to finish as he booked his place in the third round, where he will meet another top prospect, Joao Fonseca.
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Spain’s Davis Cup captain and former Grand Slam finalist David Ferrer has now delivered his verdict on Jodar’s performance.
David Ferrer admits he was surprised by the way Rafael Jodar played with ‘no doubt’ against Alex de Minaur
Appearing as a guest on ‘Feli’s Room‘, with Feliciano Lopez, Ferrer had his say on Jodar’s breakthrough win.
“I was surprised. I already knew him; he was a training partner at the Davis Cup, and he already surprised me then,” said Ferrer.
“But what I saw today is something I’ve only seen a few players do. To beat a top-10 player, 6-3, 6-1, and in the way he did it!
“Because it’s not just about saying he beat a top-10 player, no, it’s about how he did it, and how he did it against a player who has 11 titles, who has a lot of experience like Alex de Minaur.
“Above all, that maturity, that maturity to be able to face a full stadium.
Rafael Jodar vs Alex de Minaur – Match stats
| Stats | Rafael Jodar | Alex de Minaur |
| Aces | 3 | 1 |
| Double faults | 1 | 2 |
| 1st Serve % | 51% | 61% |
| Win % on 1st Serve | 68% | 39% |
| Win % on 2nd Serve | 57% | 52% |
| Break points | 6/13 | 2/5 |
“I said it on television, it seemed like today the top-10 player was Rafa [Jodar] and not Alex de Minaur.
“That’s what surprised me, the way he approached the match, and the way that he was very clear about what he had to do.
“At no point did he doubt what he had to do.”
Lopez then suggested that Jodar’s breakthrough was good news for Ferrer and the Spanish Davis Cup team.
Ferrer nodded, but insisted he didn’t want to put any unnecessary pressure on the teenager.
David Ferrer claims Rafael Jodar’s rise is ‘very rare’
The 44-year-old also took a moment to highlight Jodar’s rapid rise.
“Rafael, last year, he was 900th in the world, now he is 42nd,” he said.
Rafael Jodar’s ranking history
| Month | Ranking |
| April 2026 | 42nd |
| March 2026 | 109th |
| February 2026 | 124th |
| January 2026 | 165th |
| October 2025 | 283rd |
| September 2025 | 369th |
| August 2025 | 540th |
| June 2025 | 677th |
| May 2025 | 707th |
| March 2025 | 911th |
“Normally, the process is different; you go from 1,000 to 500, from 500 to 200, from 200 to 100, but you don’t go from 900 to 40!
“This happens very rarely.”
In just over a year, Jodar has jumped more than 850 places in the world rankings.
He is now surely eyeing a place in the world’s top 32, which would give him a seed for this year’s French Open.
Jodar would need to go deep in Madrid to achieve that goal, but if he continues playing as well as he has on clay, you wouldn’t put it past him.
Live ATP Rankings
- 32 – Brandon Nakashima (1,295 points)
- 33 – Ugo Humbert (1,280 points)
- 34 – Denis Shapovalov (1,170 points)
- 35 – Jaume Munar (1,155 points)
- 36 – Rafael Jodar (1,123 points)
He’ll have a chance to close the gap when he returns for his third-round match on Sunday, April 26.
There, he will meet Brazil’s Fonseca, who hasn’t played a match yet in Madrid.
