Jódar tells the advice his father gave him before making his debut at Roland Garros

Jose Morón | 25 May 2026 | 18.01

Jódar recounts the advice his father gave him before debuting at Roland Garros. Photo: Getty

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Based on how he performed on his first day at Roland Garros, it seems like Rafa Jódar has been playing in Paris all his life. The Madrid native began his journey in the second Grand Slam of the season with an easy victory, losing only five games in the entire match against Kovacevic.

On a day marked by heat, Rafa's opponent suffered the effects of the temperature, although he seemed almost unaffected. Jódar advanced to the second round for the second consecutive Slam, dreaming of breaking his ceiling in this type of tournament as well, with a draw greatly relieved of seedings, as players like Fritz and Lehecka have fallen on his side of the draw, paving the way to the round of 16 and quarterfinals.

Adaptation in Grand Slams

I know that it's part of the tournament and that there are people watching the matches, but I think that's also what makes the tournament a bit special and what makes Grand Slams unique, with only four throughout the year. Many people watch the matches, so I'm trying to adapt as best as possible to these changes because last year when I played the matches in Challengers, it was different. But well, I think I'm doing well and at the moment, I feel very good, both on the court and in the things I have to do off the court.

Jódar reveals how he suffered the heat in Paris

It's true that the temperatures are very high, not just for me, but also for the opponent and all players. You have to try to adapt well, hydrate well, prepare the body for a long match and high temperatures throughout the game, especially if you play at noon. But well, in the end, these are conditions you can't control, so you have to try to accept and adapt as best as possible.

What his father told him before stepping on the court

Everything he told me is what he always tells me, to enjoy it because not every day you debut at a Grand Slam, at Roland Garros, so that was the main goal in the end.

Today's match

I knew that in a Grand Slam, matches are much longer, many things can happen, and I started well, playing good tennis and feeling good on the court. And then, as I said before, because the match is so long, it leads to matches getting a bit more complicated, and there may be moments where you have to suffer, but well, it's normal. In the end, not everything will go smoothly, and before the match, I always see it as a very tough match.

Preparing for a match in a Slam

All players take their time to recover well and prepare for the next match. In the end, you win a match, but you have to have the mentality that, in this case, in two days, you'll have to play another one, so you have to prepare your body in the best way possible. I think the two or three hours after the match are crucial to take care of your body, and it helps the recovery for the following days.

No rush to advance

I'm not in a hurry. I believe I still have a lot to learn on the circuit. It's only my first year, and I'm living many experiences in these last months. But I think these experiences are helping me a lot to develop as a player and also as a person because I'm learning a lot when I compete in tournaments and prepare for matches. So it's good to have that feeling, being able to compete in Roland Garros and all these tournaments. I am very grateful to be part of this tournament.

What he learned from his time at the University

I learned many things. Perhaps to be more mature. I think living there alone was very good for my development and for doing things on my own. Of course, there were coaches and players on my team helping me get used to the new culture and new things in the United States, but it was a new stage, a new culture for me; actually, a new life. I think the way I faced those months was very useful for me, and I believe I matured a lot during those months at the university.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Jódar cuenta el consejo que le dio su padre antes de salir a debutar en Roland Garros