Madrid Open: Rafael Jodar +8 in ATP Rankings after stunning Joao Fonseca win
Rafael Jodar is set for a rankings jump after he continued his sensational form by defeating Joao Fonseca at the 2026 Madrid Open.
In the first-ever encounter between the two 19-year-old stars, Jodar stunned world No 31 Fonseca 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-1 in the third round on Manolo Santana Stadium court.
Jodar, who was born and raised in Madrid, is making his debut at the clay-court Masters 1000 tournament in his home city. He is just the second teenage wildcard to reach the fourth round in Madrid after Juan Martin del Potro in 2007.
The Spaniard dismantled world No 8 Alex de Minaur 6-3, 6-1 in the second round after battling to a 2-6, 7-5, 6-4 first round win over qualifier Jesper de Jong.
The teenager has now won 11 of his first 12 ATP Tour matches on clay, having claimed the ATP 250 title in Marrakech and reached the Barcelona Open semi-finals in his first two events.
Jodar started the Madrid Open at a career-high ranking of world No 42 following his run in Barcelona, and his three wins have lifted him eight places to 34th in the Live ATP Rankings. He will face world No 66 Vit Kopriva in the last 16.
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After the match, Jodar posted a message on his Instagram account.
“Thank you so much to all the people who came to support me. Atmosphere has been awesome,” he wrote.
“Also congratulate @joaoffonseca for the match. Let’s follow Madrid.”
In a post-match interview, Jodar said: “A very tough match.
“Joao is always a very tough player, so these matches are decided by very small details and various small points. I think I did a great job in those points, trying to play my game.
“I’m very, very happy with my level. I’ll just try to recover well and think about the next match.”
The 19-year-old also addressed whether he could have a rivalry with Fonseca.
“Joao has been doing very well this season, and I want to wish him all the best for this season and for his career because he has a brilliant career ahead of him,” Jodar said.
“Time will tell if this is the start of a rivalry. It was a high-level match from both of us.”
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