While Jodar, like any young Spanish player, worships Nadal, the reason he shares the name with the great winner 22 times is due to family tradition: both his father and grandfather were named Rafael.
“Rafa has been a role model for me since I was a child, not only in tennis but in general. I think he is very humble,” said Jodar.
“When I had the opportunity to talk to him, he was a good person, he gave me advice.
“I am very grateful for everything he has done for Spanish sport and the world of tennis.”
Jodar only turned pro last year, after a short stint gaining experience in the United States college system.
He broke into the world’s top 100 in March after a strong start to 2026 and claimed his first ATP Tour title in Marrakech a month later.
He also showed his tendency to thrive on clay by reaching the semi-finals of Barcelona and the quarter-finals of Madrid, where he lost to world number one Jannik Sinner.
But it was his run at Roland Garros – where he became just the fifth man this century to reach the quarter-finals in Paris on his first draw – that really caught the eye.
So, what can be expected from Jodari on the grass pitches?
In tournaments across the International Tennis Federation (ITF) – the level below the ATP Tour – Jodar has a 90% winning record on grass, winning nine of 10 matches in 2024.
That one defeat came at Wimbledon in a straight sets loss to Japan’s Naoya Honda in the quarter-finals of the boys’ singles tournament.
The loss ended a run of nine matches in south-west London, after preparing for the tournament by taking the minor title in Roehampton without losing a set.
Although it remains to be seen how he will perform at the highest level, Jodar appears to have the weapons that could see him thrive on the grass.
His game is based on powerful strokes and the Spaniard is behind only tour leader Sinner, known for his dominance of the baseline, in the ATP ‘return ratio’ value which includes each player’s points for all first and second match return points won, return games won, and break points converted.
Over the past 52 weeks, Jodar’s record of winning 34.0% of first return points is ahead of Sinner, and he trails only Argentina’s Mariano Navone in the men’s game.
Despite his relative experience, he also tends to remain restless at important moments.
Jodar is second on tour in converted break points, his 44.7% putting him ahead of teammate Carlos Alcaraz (43.6%).
His ‘under pressure’ ATP rating – calculated by adding up a player’s number of break points converted, break points saved, and breaks tied and deciding sets won – is bettered by just nine players in the men’s game, and better than five of the top 10 in the world.
With Alcaraz missing Wimbledon with a wrist injury, all eyes back in Spain will be on their latest young talent – but Jodar isn’t bothered by the attention.
“Tennis is one of the most popular sports in Spain. There have always been many quality players,” he said.
“Being a young player doing well on tour is great.
“Everybody who wants a picture, an autograph, I’ll do it.”
