Jódar, on the mentality in the United States regarding sports: “They give a lot of facilities to athletes, especially at university. They always try to help you and combine sports and studies in the best possible way”
Rafa Jódar debuts this Wednesday at the US Open 2026. After seeing how the rain forced the postponement of his first round match against the Chinese Yunchaokete Buthe Madrid native will jump onto court 17 around 7:30 p.m. Spanish time to seek a victory that would allow him to continue his impeccable career this year.
At 19 years old, the one from Leganés has become the great sensation of the season after moving from the 168th position it occupied in January to the current 13th. All this after stringing together notable achievements such as the title in Marrakech, the final in Washington or the semifinals in Montreal and Godó.
Now he faces a high challenge in New York, where he granted a interview with ‘Esquire’ magazine in which he was very satisfied with what was achieved. “It is a year in which things are going very well for me, in which I am enjoying a lot on the track, which I think is the most important thing, and in which I am improving a lot. It’s my first year on the circuit, I know I have many things left to improvebut having been able to play, for example, the four Grand Slams, for me it already has incredible merit. Entering the main draws and playing against the best tennis players in the world is a gift for me,” said Jódar, who is managing the success as best he can.
“Yes, everything has gone very quickly and I have to accept that things have gone very well for me. That is good, because I have been able to play many games, so I have enough competition rhythm and that is good to face these last tournaments of the year with a lot of motivation to finish in the best possible way.
In 2026, Jódar wins “the ATP title in Marrakech, in April, my first ATP clay court tournament. And then, the one that has made me the most angry, because perhaps when I was stopped for a bit due to injury after Roland Garros. “I couldn’t play the Queens ATP 500 before Wimbledon.”
Regarding the US Open, the Madrid native highlighted that for him “it is a very special Grand Slam, The atmosphere in New York is incredible, with all the people who come to watch the games, even the night sessions. “It is a Grand Slam that I have very good memories of, so I will try to do my best on my debut here.”
Finally, Jódar, who studied for a few months at the University of Virginia, wanted to highlight the American mentality when it comes to sports and training.
“In the end they give a lot of facilities to athletes, especially at university. They always try to help you and combine sport and studies in the best possible way. They give it a lot of priority and a lot of importance to athletes so that they continue to evolve and to continue to be better. They make it very easy” he concluded.
