Rafael Jodar advanced to the Roland Garros quarter-finals for the first time in his career after winning a five-set classic against Pablo Carreno Busta.
Carreno Busta, a former US Open semi-finalist, looked to be in full control of Sunday’s contest when he led 6-4, 6-4 on Sunday afternoon.
Jodar soon shifted the momentum, roaring back to claim the next three sets 6-1, 6-2, 6-2.
Can Rafael Jodar fill the void left by Carlos Alcaraz?
He's certainly stepped up in his absence so far…
The young Spaniard, who only turned professional at the start of this year, will play second seed Alexander Zverev in the Roland Garros quarter-finals.
Jodar has already made tennis history ahead of his clash against Zverev, continuing a 30-year Spanish streak in Paris.
Spanish players have reached the Roland Garros quarter-finals for 30 consecutive years
The last time a Spanish player did not reach the quarter-finals of the Roland Garros Men’s Singles event was in 1996.
That year, Pato Clavet achieved Spain’s best result in the event: the Spaniard reached the fourth round stage before losing to sixth seed Yevgeny Kafelnikov.
On Sunday, Rafael Jodar confirmed Spain’s presence in the Roland Garros Men’s Singles event for a 30th consecutive year.
During the 30-year period, Spanish players have dominated at the event – with Rafael Nadal being the main reason why.
The Spanish tennis legend won 14 Roland Garros titles – the same number as Pete Sampras’ career Grand Slam total.
During the 30-year period, Spanish players such as Carlos Moya and Juan Carlos Ferrero have also won Roland Garros.
Carlos Alcaraz represents the last Spanish player to have lifted the title in Paris. The seven-time major winner defeated Jannik Sinner in the 2025 final, saving three championship points en route to a legendary five-set triumph.
Spanish ATP players who have won Roland Garros in the past 30 years
- Carlos Moya [1998]
- Albert Costa [2002]
- Juan Carlos Ferrero [2003]
- Rafael Nadal [2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022]
- Carlos Alcaraz [2024, 2025]
Rafael Jodar notes the key change he made to beat Pablo Carreno Busta
Jodar looked to be in serious trouble midway through Sunday’s contest against Carreno Busta.
The Spaniard couldn’t seem to find his rhythm, and Carreno Busta used all of his talent and experience to keep his young compatriot at arm’s length.
During his post-match speech, Jodar noted the tactical change he was forced into making midway through the match.
“It’s difficult because he has a great backhand,” Jodar said of Carreno Busta when asked about switching the direction during cross-court rallies.
“When we’re playing cross with the backhand, it’s difficult to change because he’s playing deep in the court. I tried not to rush the shots and not make a lot of unforced errors.
“I think that was the key in the first two sets, so I tried to change that.”
If Jodar secures a stunning victory over Alexander Zverev on Tuesday, he will face either Casper Ruud, Joao Fonseca, Jakub Mensik or Andrey Rublev in the quarter-finals.
