Alexander Zverev rates Rafael Jodar’s current level ahead of first time meeting at Roland Garros
Alexander Zverev breezed through to the quarter-finals of Roland Garros by defeating lucky loser Jesper de Jong in straight sets on Philippe-Chatrier.
The World No. 3 survived an early rally from the Dutchman to dispatch the star 7-6, 6-4, 6-1 to keep his hopes of winning a first Grand Slam alive.
Zverev emulated the ‘big three’ by reaching the Roland Garros quarter-final, where he will face talented Spanish teenager Rafael Jodar.
Jodar survived a five-set match against compatriot Pablo Carreno Busta to reach the last eight of Roland Garros in his very first appearance at the Grand Slam.
Zverev will begin his match with Jodar ranked 19 places above the Spaniard, but he is under no illusion about the danger the 19-year-old poses.
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Speaking at his press conference after his victory against de Jong, Zverev highlighted several dangerous attributes he will have to be wary about during their quarter-final match.
“I watched him throughout the clay court season quite a bit,” explained the German. “I didn’t watch him this tournament because we were always playing the same day so time wise it was difficult to watch.
“He’s somebody that can accelerate the ball from both sides, which is incredibly special. He’s a very aggressive player, he’s very young, and he has tremendous talent. Again, I’m looking forward to our first meeting together.”
Jodar has hit incredible heights on the ATP Tour throughout the European clay court swing, which included his very first title at this level in Morocco.
The Spaniard followed that up by reaching the semi-finals of the Barcelona Open, as well as back-to-back quarter-finals at the Madrid Open and the Italian Open.
Having only faced one player ranked inside the top 50 so far, Jodar will be a marked step up for Zverev as he looks to continue to prove his Grand Slam credentials in a tournament that no longer features Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner.
The same can be said for Jodar, who has had a relatively easy passage through to the quarter-finals of the Grand Slam, due to many high-profile exits.
World No. 37 Alex Michelsen is the only player ranked inside the top 50 that Jodar has faced so far, so he could be in for a reality check against Zverev.
The 19-year-old only has one victory against a top 10 player so far in his career, although luckily for him that came both recently and on clay.
The Spaniard toppled Alex de Minaur in straight sets to knock the Australian out of the second round of the Madrid Open last month.
