As Rafael Jódar slowly trudged from the court, he could only bring himself to wave at his adoring crowd for no more than a millisecond. The 19-year-old was appropriately devastated after he had come within two points of victory on numerous occasions before losing 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-3 in the fourth round of the Cincinnati Open to an excellent Flavio Cobolli.
No matter, Jódar departs Ohio having further solidified himself as the subject of so much conversation on the ATP Tour. This has been a turbulent and unpredictable year in men’s tennis, largely thanks to Carlos Alcaraz’s extended injury layoff. The one certainty through it all has been the imperious rise of Jódar. After a short period competing at the University of Virginia, Jódar started to play regularly on the tour only in May last year. In August 2025, he was ranked No 540. He began the 2026 season at No 165.
Over the past four months, Jódar has won his first ATP title in Marrakech, he reached another final in Washington, he powered to his first grand slam quarter-final at Roland Garros and at Masters 1000 level he has reached a semi-final and two quarter-finals.
With the exception of the grass-court season, where he struggled with an abdominal strain, Jódar’s consistency has been astounding for someone who only just arrived at the top level of the sport. He has risen from No 109 to his current ranking of No 11 and he is seventh in the ATP race, a clear candidate for the ATP finals in his first full season as a professional tennis player.
After reaching his first Masters 1000 semi-final in Montreal just over a week ago, a tournament many viewers thought he would win, the madness continued in Ohio. Jódar showed his toughness in a spectacular comeback win over Denis Shapovalov in the second round, recovering from 5-1 down late at night to win. Then he laid waste the 22nd seed, Alejandro Tabilo, in round three. It took one of the best performances since his run to the French Open final from Cobolli, the seventh seed, to defeat him.
At a lanky 6ft 3in, Jódar is already one of the most devastating shot-makers on the tour, capable of generating immense pace off both wings. Like Jannik Sinner, what separates the Spaniard from the rest of the field is the fact that so much of his pace is a result of his immaculate timing.
His ability to change the direction of the ball off both wings is elite, as is his return of serve. The rest of his game, from his serve to his movement, continues to improve.
His emergence, however, has led to discussions about more than just his game. Jódar’s perceived lack of sportsmanship has been a consistent theme throughout his rise. Some took issue with his various medical timeouts in matches, including against Taylor Fritz in their Washington final this month, which have generated ample criticism.
Then there was the bizarre spectacle of his shoelaces breaking in numerous matches, leading to extended four-minute delays. His treatment of ballkids and volunteers on the court is another matter.
At Roland Garros, many even believed that Jódar had pushed a ballgirl to the side as he angrily left the court between sets in his match against Alex Michelson. It turned out to be a trick of the broadcast camera angles, with Jódar angrily gesticulating with his arms at the same time that the ballgirl stumbled back over sandbags placed on the edge of the court.
His dramatic win over Shapovalov was as remarkable due to the accompanying drama as the comeback itself, with Jódar having to pause the match on multiple occasions to change his shoelaces, to the irritation of Shapovalov. Two days later, he returned to the court with a comically large transparent bag filled with about a dozen Adidas shoes.
The notion that Jódar is deliberately breaking his shoelaces to halt his opponents’ momentum is laughable, but his impatience with ballkids and other on-court helpers, most of whom are either children or volunteers, is unimpressive.
He has already developed the entitled habit of throwing up his arms in disgust whenever a ballkid dares to hand him an ice towel or ball slightly late, a sight that always reflects badly on a player.
Jódar is clearly incredibly single-minded, aloof and not always considerate of how his actions may affect others. However, he is also only 19. As he continues his growth as a player, it will be nearly as compelling to see how his character develops.