Rafael Jódar reached the third round of the Masters 1,000 de Roma, and jodar now has Matteo Arnaldi in front of him for a place in the round of 16. The 19-year-old from Leganés, Madrid, keeps pushing through a season that has carried him to 34th in the ATP rankings.
Rome Brings Arnaldi Next
Jódar’s next stop in Rome is clear: Matteo Arnaldi stands between him and the round of 16. That matchup gives him a chance to keep extending a run that has already moved him into a different tier of the tour in 2025.
The Spaniard reached this stage after the kind of climb that changes how opponents view him. He began 2025 ranked 896th in the world, entered the top 500 midway through the year and finished 2025 at 168th before moving up to 34th in the ATP rankings.
Jódar’s Rapid ATP Rise
His rise is not built on one result. Jódar won 17 of his first 25 ATP matches and passed early match-win marks set by Rafa Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Jannik Sinner. Those numbers place his start in the professional game among the sharpest on tour.
He has also already handled bigger stages. Jódar reached the quarterfinals of the Mutua Madrid Open and lost to Jannik Sinner, then kept moving with results that included an ATP 250 title in Marrakech in 2026, semifinals at the Conde de Godó and a place in the main draw of the ATP 500 in Barcelona.
Leganés To The Tour
Jódar’s path began in Leganés, where he started playing tennis at age four before training at Club de Tenis Chamartín and later continuing at the University of Virginia. Along the way, he reached No. 4 in the junior world rankings, won the 2024 US Open junior title by beating Budkov Kjaer and earned ITA National Rookie of the Year and ITA All-American honors.
His father, Rafael sénior, works as his coach, fitness trainer and manager, a setup that has stayed with him through the jump from junior tennis to the ATP level. In Rome, the next test is simpler on paper and harder on court: Arnaldi, then the round of 16 if Jódar keeps this run going.
