Rafael Jodar is one of the top remaining Spanish players at Roland Garros this year.
Jodar is seen as a dark horse for the Roland Garros title this year, despite it being his first appearance at the clay court major.
The Spanish teenager has impressed during the clay court season, with Jodar winning his first ATP title in Marrakech, as well as reaching the quarterfinals of both the Madrid Open and the Italian Open, alongside his semifinal run in Barcelona.
This has enabled Jodar to make huge strides up the rankings to be seeded for Roland Garros, where he will be the second highest-ranked Spanish player after Carlos Alcaraz’s withdrawal from the tournament.
Rafael Jodar claims Carlos Alcaraz’s absence does not change anything for him
Alcaraz is currently out of competition due to a wrist injury, which has also forced him to withdraw from Wimbledon.
This means that Jodar is the second-highest ranked Spanish player in the men’s singles draw at Roland Garros this year, with only Alejandro Davidovich Fokina ranked above him.
Despite it being his Roland Garros debut, Jodar has a lot of attention on him ahead of the clay major, and he has been asked if he feels any extra pressure coming into the tournament following Alcaraz’s withdrawal.
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“No, honestly, it doesn’t change anything for me,” Jodar told Eurosport Spain. “It’s a real shame that Carlos couldn’t be here because he has won the last two titles here and he is a reference for all of us. We all wish him a speedy recovery.
“But from my perspective, the pressure I feel is only the pressure I put on myself to perform well. I focus on my own path, my own matches, and taking it day by day.
“We also have a great group of young Spanish players here like Martín [Landaluce] and Dani [Mérida], and we are all just motivated to push each other and do our best.”
Rafael Jodar explains what he is hoping to do against Aleksandar Kovacevic
In his first ever match at Roland Garros, Jodar will play against American Aleksandar Kovacevic.
This will be a first-time meeting between the two players, and Jodar revealed that he is hoping to control the match against Kovacevic with his forehand.
“It’s going to be a very tough match, as is every round in a Grand Slam,” said Jodar. “Kovacevic is a dangerous player with a big game, so I will have to be highly focused from the very first point, dictate with my forehand, and stay solid. I’m just looking forward to Monday.”
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Jodar made his Grand Slam debut at the Australian Open earlier this year, where he reached the second round before losing to Jakub Mensik.
As a seeded player in Paris, Jodar will be hoping to improve on this at Roland Garros, starting with his first round match against Kovacevic on Monday, May 25.
