Rafael Jodar’s impressive Madrid Open run came to an end on Wednesday as world No. 1 Jannik Sinner produced a dominant and composed performance to stop the rising Spaniard. Despite the quarterfinal exit, Jodar’s breakthrough showing did not go under the radar, earning praise from world No. 2 and seven-time major champion Carlos Alcaraz.
Carlos Alcaraz Praises Rafael Jodar Following Quarterfinal Loss to Jannik Sinner
Sinner asserted control early, racing through the opening set 6-2. Although Jodar raised his level in the second, pushing the contest into a tie-break, the world No. 1 sealed it 7-6(0) to wrap up the win in 1 hour and 55 minutes. Sinner saved seven break points he faced and extended his winning streak to 21 matches.
Meanwhile, Jodar brought his standout Madrid Open run to a close, signing off with a heartfelt yet motivational message on Instagram.
“Thank you Madrid! See you next year. We continue to learn and enjoy the process. Congratulations to Jannik Sinner for the match and good luck in the rest of the tournament,” he captioned his post.
It proved to be a demanding run for the 19-year-old, as he battled past Jesper de Jong in three sets, stunned fifth seed Alex de Minaur, edged João Fonseca in another three-set tussle, and overcame Vít Kopřiva to reach the latter stages. His efforts did not go unnoticed, with Spain’s top star, Alcaraz, acknowledging the run with a message in the comments.
“Espectacular torneo!” he wrote.
Notably, Alcaraz was not the only one to recognize his compatriot’s resilience, as Sinner also acknowledged the efforts following their match.
“He pushed me to the limit. He’s an incredible player. I tried to be ready as much as I could. But I’m incredibly happy. It was a very high-quality match. I got a bit lucky in the second set, but also [had] a bit of experience. I’m obviously very happy to be in the semis here for the first time. It means a lot to me,” he said after the match.
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After gaining early exposure at the Next Gen ATP Finals last year, Jodar has translated that promise into results with a strong clay-court surge in 2026. The Spaniard broke through with his maiden ATP Tour title in Marrakech, carried that momentum into a semifinal finish in Barcelona, and capped the run with a quarterfinal showing in Madrid. As a result, he has surged from world No. 168 to No. 34 in the ATP Live Rankings.
