Spanish tennis player Rafael Jódar, 19, was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Madrid Masters 1000 by world No. 1 Jannik Sinner. The Italian won 6-4 7-6(0) in 1 hour 57 minutes per some reports, or 6-2 7-6(0) in 1 hour 56 minutes per EL PAÍS, and praised the Madrid native's quality.
Rafael Jódar reached his first Masters 1000 quarterfinals after wins over Alex de Miñaur, Joao Fonseca, and Czech Kopriva at the Caja Mágica. He had previously made semifinals at Conde de Godó and won an ATP title.
In the match against Sinner, Jódar had six or seven break point chances but converted none. The Italian saved them all and advanced to semifinals against Arthur Fils. "What a player!", Sinner wrote on the TV camera, and in press conference added: "He is a high-quality player. My advice is to stay away from pressure as much as possible".
Jódar, from Leganés, displayed brave and aggressive play with strong forehand, backhand, serve, and return. "I will watch the match and analyze what I did well and what I did wrong", the Spaniard said, as he will be 29th in the ranking on Monday and seeded at Roland Garros.
Sinner, recent winner in Indian Wells, Miami, Montecarlo, and Paris-Bercy, seeks his fifth straight Masters 1000. Madrid bid farewell to Jódar as a new local idol, with Carlos Alcaraz absent due to injury.
