Landaluce talks about his rivalry with Jódar before his debut in Madrid

Pedro de Pablos | 20 Apr 2026 | 16.09

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Martín Landaluce is at the peak of his career. After the successes achieved in recent weeks, the Spanish tennis player has entered the top 100 of the ATP rankings for the first time, and at the Mutua Madrid Open 2026, he hopes to extend his winning streak after receiving a wildcard to compete in the main draw. Additionally, he has analyzed his preparation with Carlos Alcaraz and his rivalry with Rafa Jódar.

After reaching the quarterfinals at the Miami Open 2026, Landaluce traveled to Murcia to prepare for the clay court season with Carlos Alcaraz, and it is paying off. Also, during the pre-tournament press conference, he discussed his relationship with Rafa Jódar, with whom he has been competing for over a decade and maintains a great bond. 'La Armada' is stronger than ever, and both are rising rapidly towards the top positions of the ATP rankings.

Martín Landaluce's complete press conference before his debut at the Mutua Madrid Open 2026

Playing in the main draw in Madrid

Yes, I am very excited to play at home, in Madrid. I am also staying in my house, so the week becomes very special here with my people, and I hope it will be a great and important tournament where I can feel strong on the court and have good matches. The court conditions suit me well; I like it when it's fast, my shots can do a lot of damage, my serve is powerful... I think I can make a difference in a tournament like this.

Preparation with Alcaraz in Murcia

It was incredible because in previous years, clay courts haven't suited me as well, but I think this time will be different, especially coming from Miami with confidence. Starting my first week on clay with him with everything I brought, well, it turned out incredible; I believe the training sessions were fantastic. I hope it was the same for him, and off the court, we also had a good time. I was able to spend some time with him, so I enjoyed it a lot, and surely, it will happen again.

Improvements in his tennis

I need to keep working the same and improving; there are many areas to work on. I aim to inflict significant damage with my style, I believe it's important to cause harm consistently over several shots, try to be more solid, move better physically... There is still a lot of room for improvement to do things much better, to be prepared for matches, like in 5-6 tough matches, and to keep working with the same joy and humility.

Breaking into the top 100 for the first time

It's very special to see myself there; I think it's something all of us want since we were little. I have never had a specific ranking goal, and especially now that I'm in this position, I think I can go further, that's the intention a bit. So, for this tournament, it's about trying to do things as I've been doing them, looking to impose that style of play with quite a distinct identity, representing myself well, and I believe that's most important. If I do these things well, I think the level will follow suit, and surely the first match will be good, and I hope there will be more than one.

Advantages for Jódar and him due to Madrid's altitude

We both have a similar style of play, looking to cause damage, seeking powerful shots, searching for winners, and I think these conditions can help us. He has trained a lot in Madrid, on similar courts like me, and ultimately, the circuit forces you to adapt a bit more to sea level, but I think we have that somewhat ingrained in us, which can help us play during this week compared to other players.

Relationship with Jódar

We have gotten along well since forever. We've been competing since we were 8 or 9 years old; we have a good relationship because ultimately, we were among the first to start competing in Madrid, reaching the finals. We were always up there, competing against each other, and it's nice to see how we are still at the top now. He's doing incredible things, and I think we are both on a very good path. It's important now not to be in a hurry because if the level is there, things will come, so we have a lot of respect for each other. Every time we see each other in tournaments, we try to share things. We have been seeing each other all our lives, and I believe it's essential to maintain that relationship.

Rivalry with Jódar since childhood

Initially, I won more, and then I started to distance myself a bit in the rankings, started performing better. He later began playing juniors later, finished later, went to college, and now he's making an incredible sprint. It motivates me; I think it's a small, healthy rivalry, and I believe he sets a great example for all the kids, not to be in a hurry. As he took his time to do things as well as he is doing now, all the work he has accumulated over these years is paying off now. Let others see that each person has their own path, and there's no rush.

Pressure of playing at home

Well, I believe I have been handling the mental aspect very well for years. I am a very normal guy who enjoys doing a lot of things outside the court. It is very important for so many weeks throughout the year, so many travels you take, being away from home, and I think having other things to do and enjoy is very important. I don't feel any pressure; right now, I am focused on improving, continuing my path, and just like at the beginning, perhaps the first year in that tournament, I felt that pressure, but now I think I can benefit more from playing at home with the crowd's support, with people who support and care for me, and that can bring out my best version.

Accumulation of matches due to the calendar

There are many tournaments. You need to arrive well-prepared physically; otherwise, there may be some injuries cropping up; in the end, it can happen to anyone. In my case, this tournament is quite special, and I'm going to give 100% of my game and physicality wherever it takes me, and hopefully, it will be very far. But always with great caution if you start feeling any discomfort that could affect a large part of the season or what comes next. I believe it's wise to stop and take care of it; that's the most important thing. Ultimately, we aim to have a long career, and rushing or expecting things too soon can be detrimental, so taking care of your health, and if you're physically 100%, then give 200%.

Defeat against Norrie last year in Madrid

Well, last year, I had match point in that one and in a few more, and I think I am learning to manage those moments a bit better. Sometimes that youthful impatience, wanting it now, can lead you to rush a bit, to seek more when the situation may not call for it. I learned to handle those situations as calmly as possible. If it doesn't come now, it will come in one or two games, and you don't have a lot of time for opportunities to arise. The important thing is to have them and try to handle them consistently because ultimately, if you trust in a style of play, those opportunities will come more often.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Landaluce habla de su rivalidad con Jódar antes de su debut en Madrid