INTERVIEW | Rafa Jódar: "I believe I can be better, this is just the first step"

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After a few days of rest and recovery at home, Rafa Jódar exclusively shares with us the emotions experienced at the ATP Marrakech and the excitement he holds for debuting at the Barcelona and Madrid tournaments: "It's going to be a dream come true."

It's not normal to interview the same person so many times in such a short period, but I promise it's not an obsession. The blessed problem with Rafa Jódar (Madrid, 2006) is the fierce progress he has made in the last twelve months. Just a year ago, he was debuting on the Challenger circuit, ended the season with three trophies in the category, started 2026 with his first participation in a Grand Slam and a Masters 1000, to land in April within the top 100 and with his first ATP title in the trophy cabinet. Unthinkable madness, although listening to him speak, it seems like the Madrilenian had it all figured out.

Interview with Rafa Jódar after winning his first ATP title

How many interviews have you given these days?

Not many, to be honest. I don't count them either (laughs).

First ATP title at 19, how does it feel?

It was a very special tournament, my first ATP on clay. Things went very well from the start, progressing through many rounds until reaching the final. I ended the week in the best possible way, so now it's about maintaining this momentum as there are still many tournaments ahead on this tour.

We didn't expect you to adapt so quickly to clay.

Now all players play very well on all surfaces; if you want to excel, you have to adapt well to all of them, as I will have to do in a few months when I play on grass for the second time in my career.

But do you like clay?

I played a lot on clay as a child because there were more clay courts than cement at the Club de Tenis Chamartín, so I always played more on clay. Also, due to the tournaments I competed in at that age, in the junior stage, there was much more clay, although in this past year, I have played more on hard courts.

If you had to choose between clay or cement?

I like both, really, I can't choose one. I love playing on clay, although perhaps my game may adapt slightly better to hard courts.

Are you aware of how difficult it is to win an ATP tournament?

It is something very special; winning an ATP title is very challenging. I am aware that it is an achievement I will remember for the rest of my life. This could be the first step for what is to come in the following years.

You speak very calmly, as if you already knew all of this was going to happen in January.

If I told you that, I wouldn't be telling the truth (laughs). This is my first year on the circuit, and I know how difficult it is to win matches, let alone titles. The early rounds are super challenging, sometimes even more so than the final rounds because that's when you have to adapt to a new surface. Each opponent is tough, every match is complicated... but by no means, when I decided to take this leap into professionalism, I never imagined finding myself in this situation now.

From #911 to #57 in a year, seems easy.

I keep my feet on the ground; it happened to me a couple of years ago when I finished playing very well in my junior years, even winning some titles. I learned from that, I know that now is the time to continue working hard, even though I have won an ATP title, I know I haven't achieved anything yet. I have to keep working if I want to get better... and I think I can get better; I have room to improve.

Have you discovered any negative aspect of fame?

It's all part of what I have achieved this past week. "Something I don't like? [...] Well, comparisons will naturally arise because that's how any sport works, so what you have to do is ignore all those comments. Just because you are compared to another player doesn't mean you will be as good as them.

We've seen very few with the speed you carry.

There are different cases; it's true that many people know about tennis and can recognize some similar cases, but I still believe I have a long way to go. I don't know, hopefully, someday I'll reach that higher level, but I still have to work a lot for that.

Do you allow yourself to dream big? What if you were born to be one of the greats?

When I was little, I didn't think about any of this; I never stood out in the junior stage. During those years, there were many players my age who used to beat me in tournaments. In fact, I didn't even think I would end up being a tennis player. Little by little, I have been improving, achieving good results, until tennis has offered me the opportunity to get here.

I find it hard to believe that in December, you were about to choose another path. Did you really consider continuing to study and not making the leap to the circuit?

It was a tough decision; I had come from a year of studying and competing simultaneously in Virginia. I felt that I was improving and knew that if I wanted to one day play against the best players, I had to take this path, I had to take the next step. If you want to face the best and compete with them in major tournaments, at least you had to try.

Your father acts as both a father and a coach. Can you imagine adding a second voice to the team in the future?

We haven't changed anything since my junior years; we continue training in the same way. My father plays an important role; things are working, so there's no reason to change anything. He helps me both on and off the court, so my goal is to focus on doing my job well on the court and continue improving as a tennis player; I leave the rest of the matters in my father's hands.

This month you will debut at the Godó and in Madrid; there will be people seeing you live for the first time. What will they find?

They will find a guy debuting in two tournaments he had always dreamed of playing; from a young age, I remember going to the Mutua Madrid Open a lot, so it's going to be a dream come true. They will find a guy who will try to do his best, show his best version, and continue learning from these types of tournaments.

I won't ask you if your life has changed; it's clear you are still the same as two years ago.

You can automatically put that one in, copy and paste it (laughs).

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, ENTREVISTA | Rafa Jódar: “Creo que puedo ser mejor, esto es solo el primer paso"