TENNIS: Jodar latest Spanish gem to sparkle in French Open's post-Nadal era

PARIS — Carlos Alcaraz may have cemented his status as the “Prince of Clay” with consecutive French Open titles in the post-Rafael Nadal era at Roland Garros, but the absence of defending champion Rafael Nadal has opened the door for another rising Spaniard to take center stage in Paris.

Away from Court Philippe-Chatrier, where Nadal built his record 14 French Open titles, 19-year-old Rafael Jodar quietly announced his arrival on Monday with a dominant 6-1, 6-0, 6-4 victory over Aleksandar Kovacevic in his first-round match.

Displaying the same relentless clay-court intensity often associated with his idol Nadal, Jodar controlled the match from the opening game and lived up to growing expectations following a strong clay season leading into the year’s second Grand Slam.

“I think I did things well from the start and I’m super happy to get my first win in Paris,” Jodar said after the 94-minute match on his Roland Garros main-draw debut.

“First matches are always difficult in the tournament. I had to serve very well. I tried to play my game during the first two sets, and even when things got a little trickier in the third set and I had to face break points, I played well.

“When you’re playing a five-set match, everything can go up and down. You just have to handle it the best way possible.”

Ranked outside the top 900 just over a year ago, Jodar has surged into the top 50 after capturing his first ATP title in Morocco and reaching the semifinals of the Barcelona Open. He followed that breakthrough with consecutive quarterfinal runs in Madrid and Rome, pushing his ranking up to No. 29 in the world.

Despite his rapid rise, Jodar said he is not rushing to set expectations too high.

“I still have to learn a lot of things on the tour,” he said. “It’s just my first year and I’m experiencing a lot of things over these past few months.

“But these experiences are really helping me develop as a player and as a person because I’m learning a lot when I’m playing tournaments and preparing for matches.

“It’s good to have that feeling, to be able to compete in the French Open and in all these tournaments. I’m very grateful to be part of this event.”

Jodar, who began playing tennis at age six and trained at Club de Tenis Chamartín, later played college tennis in the United States during the 2024–25 season at the University of Virginia before turning professional at the start of 2026.

He said his time in the U.S. played a key role in his development both on and off the court.

“I learned a lot of things, maybe to be more mature,” Jodar said. “Living there alone helped me a lot to develop and do things by myself.

“There were coaches and teammates helping me adjust to a new culture, but it was a new chapter, a new life for me.

“The way I approached those months was really helpful. I think I matured a lot during my time in college.”

Jodar will continue his French Open campaign against Australia’s James Duckworth in the second round. -Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Paris, editing by Pritha Sarkar/Reuters