The legendary Rafael Nadal famously won the first of his record 14 Roland-Garros titles at his maiden attempt at the claycourt major as a teenager in 2005. History could be repeating itself 21 years on.
Nadal’s 19-year-old countryman – and namesake – Rafael Jodar became the fifth man this century to reach the quarter-finals in Paris on his main draw debut on Sunday (Paris time), joining Nadal, Juan Carlos Ferrero (2000), Martin Verkerk (2003), Jannik Sinner (2020) and Holger Rune (2022).
Jodar, who was ranked No.707 at this time last year, did so by winning a second straight five-setter, outlasting another Spaniard, Pablo Carreno Busta, 4-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 in three hours and 41 minutes.
A shoulder issue plagued former world No.10 Carreno Busta throughout the final sets, but should not take away from Jodar’s achievement, which he celebrated vigorously after embracing his veteran compatriot at the net.
“I’m super happy with the win,” Jodar said.
“It’s different [playing in major tournaments, in front of big crowds], but I’m the same person. I’ll always be the same person, always very, very humble – but I appreciate all the people who came to support me today.”
This victory followed the teenage sensation rallying from two-sets-to-one down against American Alex Michelsen a round earlier.
Jodar experienced his first off-court adversity in the lead-up based on a misleading viral clip that initially, and incorrectly, made it look like he shoved a young ballgirl during the Michelsen match before an alternative camera angle emerged.
Nadal, too, was 19 years old when he triumphed in 2005, beating Roger Federer in the semi-finals before a four-set win over Argentine Mariano Puerta.
This year’s Roland-Garros championship will crown a first-time grand slam champion after a string of upsets and extraordinary drama in the opening week, including the eliminations of both world No.1 Jannik Sinner and 24-time major winner Novak Djokovic.
The defending champion, Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz, did not even start the tournament because of a serious wrist injury.
Jodar began this claycourt swing by winning a Challenger event in Morocco in late March before reaching the Barcelona semi-finals, Madrid quarter-finals – where he took it up to Sinner – and the same stage in Rome.
He has won more matches on the red dirt than any other man this year, putting together a 19-3 win-loss record, and provisionally climbing to No.22 in the live ATP rankings.
Jodar’s greatest challenge this fortnight is about to come against third-ranked German Alexander Zverev, a three-time major finalist who is the new tournament favourite after the chaos that has befallen Roland-Garros. He was runner-up in Paris two years ago.
Zverev’s path to the last eight has been far more comfortable, dropping just one set so far and finally ending lucky loser Jesper De Jong’s unlikely run with a 7-6 (7-3), 6-4, 6-1 success in the fourth round.
He found out in an on-court interview afterwards with retired French star Caroline Garcia that his next opponent was Jodar.
“He’s a very young player, incredibly talented,” Zverev said.
“He’s come on the scene this claycourt season from being ranked outside the top 100 and now almost being top 20 within two months, so he’s playing incredible tennis. It’s going to be a very difficult challenge, but I have to trust myself, and I’ll be ready for it.”
The rest of the quarter-final field is still being set, ranging from Jodar’s fellow emerging stars Joao Fonseca and Jakub Mensik to Sinner’s improbable conqueror Juan Manuel Cerundolo, who backed up his titanic upset over the ailing Italian with a near-six-hour epic win.
But to reach the last eight, Cerundolo must tomorrow overcome another Italian, Matteo Berretini, who has been riddled with injuries in more recent years.
Fonseca faces a triple major finalist, Casper Ruud, who made back-to-back Roland-Garros finals in 2022-23, while Canada’s Felix Auger Aliassime, Flavio Cobolli, Andrey Rublev and Frances Tiafoe join Zverev as the top remaining seeds.
No one outside Sinner, Alcaraz or Djokovic has won a men’s grand slam singles title since Daniil Medvedev upset the latter in the 2021 US Open final.
The women’s tournament is becoming almost as intriguing after Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk beat four-time champion Iga Swiatek 7-5, 6-1 in a brilliant display of power hitting.
No.15 seed Kostyuk required nerves of steel after twice being down a break late in the first set, then dropping serve to start the second, but cruised to the finish line after hanging tough in that challenging period.
It has been a headline-grabbing event for Ukrainian women, from Kostyuk to fellow quarter-finalist Elina Svitolina and Oleksandra Oliynykova, who lost in the third round but continued her one-person crusade against the ongoing war in her home country.
A tearful Oliynykova called for Russia’s Diana Schnaider, who defeated her in straight sets, to be sanctioned for playing in an exhibition event last year funded by Gazprom, a Russian state-owned oil company.
Kostyuk and Svitolina will face off for a semi-final spot.
“We have a really good relationship,” Kostyuk said of Svitolina.
“She’s a legend of Ukrainian tennis, and [it will be] such an honour to share the court with her on Tuesday. She’s paved the way for a lot of Ukrainian girls and boys, and she’s doing great, especially this year – she’s doing unbelievable.”
The other women’s quarter-final that was locked in pits 19-year-old Mirra Andreeva against retirement-bound Romanian Sorana Cirstea, whose incredible form continued with a 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) win over China’s Wang Xiyu.
Andreeva dropped only five games in brushing aside Swiss opponent Jil Teichmann.
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