Jannik Sinner continued his march towards the Madrid Open title with victory over Rafael Jodar on Wednesday evening.
Sinner proved too strong for the Spanish prodigy, defeating the youngster 6-2, 7-6 in the Manolo Santana Stadium.
Despite the loss, Jodar made a lasting impression on Sinner; the Italian signed a television camera with the message ‘what a player,’ in reference to Jodar.
Can Rafael Jodar fill the void left by Carlos Alcaraz?
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Sinner has now played Jodar and Joao Fonseca, both of whom are considered to be leaders of the next tennis generation.
After defeating Jodar on Wednesday, Sinner was asked whether these two young stars could form a ‘big four’ with himself and Carlos Alcaraz.
Jannik Sinner says whether Joao Fonseca and Rafael Jodar can form a ‘big four’
“I don’t know. Look, I cannot predict the future, you know,” Sinner said in response to the question during his post-match press conference.
“What I always believe is they’re all incredible talents. Being an athlete you always have a lot of pressure. My advice is always to keep the pressure as much as possible away from the present, even though I know it’s always going to be a lot of talk, you know, off the court.
“At the end of the day, you know, the player has to make the step forward, and then we see. But what he’s doing, it’s incredible. I wish him only the best.”
The term ‘big four’ was first termed during the earlier part of this century, when Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray were dominating on the ATP Tour.
“But in the same time, don’t push him [Jodar] too much,” Sinner continued. “Because sometimes it’s getting into your head and it’s very tough to get out. He’s a very, very good kid, he has a great family behind him.
“The father seems very, very humble. He has a small bubble, which is great for him. I think he’s going to make some incredible results in the future.
Rafael Jodar’s run in Madrid
- Round one: defeated Jesper de Jong
- Round two: defeated Alex de Minaur
- Round three: defeated Joao Fonseca
- Round four: defeated Vit Kopriva
- Quarter-finals: lost to Jannik Sinner
“There are always going to be other players, new players, even younger than him, coming in a couple of years, most likely, which is always going to be the case. But, yeah, he has everything what’s needed.”
Jodar will now turn his attention towards the Italian Open, which will begin on May 5.
The fifth Masters 1000 event of the year was last won by Carlos Alcaraz. The Spaniard, ranked second on the ATP Tour, will not compete at this year’s event due to a right wrist injury.
As for Sinner, if he were to defeat Arthur Fils on Friday, he would play one of Alexander Blockx, Casper Ruud, Flavio Cobolli and Alexander Zverev in the Madrid Open final.
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Who is the best young talent on the ATP Tour?
A number of players have emerged as potential future challengers to the dominance of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
Joao Fonseca and Rafael Jodar have certainly proven their worth in recent memory, with Fonseca in particular demonstrating an ability to win multiple ATP Tour titles.
Arthur Fils has also emerged as a star since returning from a long-term injury in February.
The Frenchman, still only 21 years old, has reached at least the quarter-final stage in six of the seven events he has competed in since returning from his injury layoff.
Then there is Alexander Blockx, who Jannik Sinner has described as an ‘under the radar’ ATP talent.
The Belgian, 21, has reached the quarter-finals in Madrid and will compete against Casper Ruud for a spot in the semi-finals.
