Rafa Jódar defeats Hanfmann to embrace the top100

Streaming French Open live tennis

🎾 Flavio Cobolli vs Andrea Pellegrino

1. Sign up with Bet365 here
2. Make your first deposit of at least €5
3. Go to the “Live” section and watch every match

Watch the match on Bet365

 PUBLICIDAD

Register at bet365, deposit €5 or more into your account and you will receive 100% of your eligible deposit in Bet Credits (up to €100). New customers only. Terms apply. Winnings do not include the value of Bet Credits. Maximum prizes, game restrictions, time limits and terms apply. Registration required.

One more week, Rafa Jódar confirms that he is more than ready to land in the world elite. His victory against Yannick Hanfman in the main draw of the Miami Open (6-4, 4-6, 6-1) will allow him to break into the top 100 for the first time at the end of the tournament.

Not content with just surpassing the qualifying rounds of the Miami Open 2026, Rafa Jódar needed to maintain his momentum in the final draw. After consecutive victories against Manas Dhamne and Benjamin Bonzi, today his victim was the German Yannick Hanfmann, currently ranked #64 in the world. But rankings hold no value here; the only thing that wins matches is being better than your opponent, and in that regard, this kid is excellent. Do not ask me where he finds the courage or experience; the fact is that, at 19 years old, he competes like few others.

This Thursday, the reflection of that winning gene was seen on Court 6, where a storm threatened from the first ball he struck. Not a water storm which happened yesterday, but today was a Leganés storm, a massive display of quality by Jódar who, now very seriously, seems to be born for this. Winning his service games in under 3 minutes, handling his plays like a veteran, always showing small improvements from his last match. Like a sponge that keeps accumulating more water until the crucial moment arrives, and he releases it. In the first set, reaching 5-4 was enough to put pressure on his opponent in the decisive game. He took it without conceding a point.

With the 6-4 in his favor, I imagine your mind starts telling you so many things that sometimes it's better not to listen. But it's hard to silence that demon when the scoreboard tells you that you have already completed half of the work in 35 minutes. Yes, on the other side of the net was the player who pushed Alcaraz to the limit in the last Australian Open, but this Hanffman is not the same as in January. Neither is Rafa. The twists started with a break in favor of the German to level the balance, a situation that could be remedied with a bit of patience and order. That's what Jódar did, injecting freshness into his ideas until he regained control of the match. At 3-3 in the second set, everything seemed a bit closer.

Here is where the average writer falls into the trap of starting to write the match report, merging what is happening with what you wish would happen. Even if you believe in it, sports never work that way. Yanick Hanfmann, always a serious opponent, completely crossed paths with the Spaniard to claim the set 6-4. He repaid him in the same fashion, recovering the break and solidifying his lead with minimal response to Rafita. And of course, once the deciding set arrived, no report can offer guarantees.

Usually, it's best to wait, enjoy the show, and there will be time to reflect later. The issue is that Jódar is an enemy of time, always winning the sprint, which is why he forced us to quickly turn on the laptop when he once again put on the superhero suit, leading 3-0 in the final set. And then 4-0. And 5-0. In short, a festival. At 19 years old, very few 'buts' can be mentioned in this non-existent transition he is going through. Like a true rocket, the Madrid native advances to the second round of the Miami Open eager to keep the party going.

Rafa Jódar now has victories in all ATP categories

Putting a bit of perspective on this journey can make you feel dizzy. Just a year ago, Rafa Jódar was outside the top 700 in the rankings, not even making his mark on the Futures circuit. Today, in a crazy surge in just two and a half months, he already has official victories in Grand Slam, Masters 1000, ATP 500, and ATP 250 tournaments. Looking at the live rankings, his name climbs to position number 93, practically ensuring his debut among the top one hundred at the end of the event. And you know what's best? This is not over yet, a match against the Australian Vukic is up next.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Rafa Jódar tumba a Hanfmann para abrazar el top100