Jannik Sinner continued his march towards a fifth consecutive Masters 1000 title with victory over Elmer Moller on Sunday.
Sinner, who recently reclaimed the world number one spot from Carlos Alcaraz, defeated his Danish opponent 6-3, 6-2 in the Caja Magica.
The Italian is the clear favourite for the Madrid Open title following Carlos Alcaraz’s withdrawal.
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However, there are a number of young stars remaining in the draw – one of those being Rafael Jodar.
Jodar, the latest in a long line of talented Spanish players, has quickly emerged as one of the brightest prospects on the ATP Tour.
Sinner, who also became a household name on the ATP Tour while a teenager, was asked about Jodar after winning his third-round match in Madrid.
Jannik Sinner names the four ‘very good’ ATP youngsters
Speaking to reporters in Madrid, Sinner labelled Rafael Jodar, Joao Fonseca, Rei Sakamoto and Nikolai Budkov Kjaer as ‘very good players.’
“He’s [Jodar a very very talented player who was warming up today with Nicolai [Budkov Kjaer] – the Norwegian guy,” Sinner said.
“Very interesting year, born in 2006 – Joao, Jodar, Nikolai, Sakamoto, they’re all very good players and it’s a very strong year.”
Sinner, who could face Rafael Jodar in Madrid, analysed the young Spaniard’s game.
“Jodar is a very clean hitter, very easy power,” the Italian remarked.
“You can hear with the sound when he touches… good sound coming from the racket and he’s very very talented so he’s going to be a great, great player in the future.
“He’s already showing… I like the mentality, he is quite calm, and I don’t know him personally but he seems very humble.
“He’s a very good player and I wish him only the best.”
Sinner, a four-time Grand Slam champion, is seeking to win a fifth consecutive Masters 1000 title in Madrid.
Sinner would become the first player in tennis history to accomplish the feat, should he lift the title in the Spanish capital.
The Italian 24-year-old still has a long path ahead of him, and he may need to go through Rafael Jodar to win the title.
The pair are slated to meet in the quarter-finals, should they both win their respective fourth round matches.
Sinner will play Cameron Norrie in the fourth round, while Jodar will face Vit Kopriva.
Confirmed Madrid Open fourth round matches
- Jannik Sinner vs Cameron Norrie
- Rafael Jodar vs Vit Kopriva
- Tomas Etcheverry vs Arthur Fils
- Jiri Lehecka vs Lorenzo Musetti
Where was Rafael Jodar ranked one year ago?
A year ago, Jodar was a relatively unknown quantity on the ATP Tour.
On April 21, 2025, the Spaniard was ranked 687th on the ATP Tour.
On July 21, Jodar broke into the world’s top 500 for the first time, rising to world number 478.
Will Rafa Jodar win more Grand Slam titles than Joao Fonseca in his career?
Jodar continued to rise throughout the second half of last year, ending the season ranked 168th on the Tour.
Jodar’s march has continued this year, and following his victory over Fonseca, the Spaniard is set to rise eight places to world number 34.
If the Spaniard continues to perform at a high level, he may be seeded player for the first time at a Grand Slam event when he plays at the French Open next month.
