Jannik Sinner defeated Rafael Jodar, 6-2, 7-6, in the quarter-finals of the Madrid Open.
The 19-year-old lost to the world number one, but impressed once more on Manolo Santana.
Jodar pushed Sinner close and at times looked like he would force the Italian into a deciding set.
Can Rafael Jodar fill the void left by Carlos Alcaraz?
He's certainly stepped up in his absence so far…
After the match, Sky Sports pundits Colin Fleming and Marion Bartoli shared their thoughts on Jodar’s future.
Colin Fleming thinks Rafael Jodar will be even more ‘motivated’ after playing Jannik Sinner
Fleming was impressed with the level Jodar showed in defeat to Sinner.
“I thought it was actually a really positive match for him,” he said.
“As Marion [Bartoli] said pre-match, if he’d lost 6-1, 6-1, and not really been close, it can actually have a detrimental effect, thinking ‘that’s so far away’, but now he’s almost tasted it, so close to winning the second set, I think his motivation will just be even higher.
Jannik Sinner vs Rafael Jodar – Match stats
| Stats | Jannik Sinner | Rafael Jodar |
| Aces | 6 | 4 |
| Double faults | 2 | 1 |
| 1st Serve % | 65% | 67% |
| Win % on 1st Serve | 73% | 61% |
| Win % on 2nd Serve | 68% | 48% |
| Break points | 2/9 | 0/7 |
“I thought his game maybe stood up better than I expected, seeing him up close and personal, his serve is maybe better than I thought, he’s got a lot of pop on the serve, the ground strokes are massive.
“Some of the winners!
“If he gets more matches like this, trusts it more, he maybe misses slightly less, particularly in the big moments, but his game is there.
“He must be so encouraged, and his father, his whole team, by what they saw today.”
Bartoli herself was ‘extremely impressed’ by Jodar, comparing him to his fellow Spaniard, Rafael Nadal.
“Extremely impressed with Rafael Jodar. Honestly, the way he was able to handle every single situation,” she said.
“You felt like at the end of that first set, like it was slightly going away from him, slipping out of his hands. He had an incredible start, where he was toe-to-toe with Jannik Sinner; the pace of the game was so fast. Yes, they were not very long rallies, but they were very intense.
“When you’re not used to that pace, it can be very difficult to handle physically the situation as well as mentally and emotionally.
“The way he was able to bounce back in that second set, coming back, game after game, creating opportunities, this whole place went crazy!
“Singing and shouting, reminding me of Rafael Nadal, absolutely incredible from him, and really gave everything he had.
“Yes, of course, it was not enough, but it’s not been enough for a lot of players against Jannik Sinner this year.”
Players to beat Jannik Sinner in 2026
- Novak Djokovic – 2026 Australian Open SF
- Jakub Mensik – 2026 Qatar Open QF
Fleming was also keen to comment on Sinner’s performance, as he continues his quest for a fifth consecutive Masters 1000 title.
“Incredible level,” he said.
“We’re sat there watching it, I think he hit a winner on all three break points [at 4-4].
“The key thing is at 15-40, it would be very easy and almost human to think, ‘I don’t want to go three sets, this is taking more energy out of me than I want’, whatever it might be.
“And we can’t control those negative thoughts; they come.
“But he seems to be able to process them very quickly, and by the time he starts the next point, he’s already positive, he’s already got a plan, and he played his best tennis at that moment, and that tiebreak.
“That’s not a coincidence, that’s what he does.”
What’s next for Jannik Sinner and Rafael Jodar after their Madrid Open clash?
Sinner will now prepare for the Madrid Open semi-finals, where he will meet Arthur Fils.
The Frenchman hasn’t lost a match on clay this year, winning the title in Barcelona before travelling to Madrid.
He did, however, lose the one match he’s played against Sinner, in Montpellier three years ago.
- 2023 Montpellier SF – Jannik Sinner defeated Arthur Fils, 7-5, 6-2
Jodar, on the other hand, will now head over to Rome for the Italian Open.
The 2026 Italian Open begins on Tuesday, May 5.
