Without suffering there is no glory

Rafael Jódar took a giant leap in his progression by winning Roland Garros 2026 in one of those matches that separate good players from true contenders. Despite his lack of experience, the Madrid native overcame many difficulties in his duel with James Duckworth and ended up prevailing with a score of 6-1 6-7 (5) 6-4 7-5. He advances to the third round and will face Basavareddy or Michelsen.

The competition is only getting tougher, and there is no room for relaxation, especially in a Grand Slam. Rafael Jódar is fully aware that, in terms of tennis level, he belongs to a select group of the strongest contenders for glory in any tournament. However, he knows perfectly well that his lack of experience and physical maturity are looming threats in a tournament like Roland Garros 2026. Thus, avoiding traps like the one in this second round provides a exquisite morale boost for the player from Leganés.

It all started perfectly. It is common to witness spectacular starts from the Madrid player, overwhelming his opponents with powerful strokes and solid shots. He did so against a bewildered Duckworth, who seemed puzzled by the quality of his opponent's shots. In the blink of an eye, the first set ended in favor of the Spaniard. However, a Grand Slam match is "molto longo," as the legendary Juanito would say, and it was time to roll up the sleeves and get to work.

Jódar wasted 15 break points during the match, but his mindset was impeccable

A certain lack of confidence in his forehand became evident during the second set. Yet, Jódar managed to take a 3-2 lead with his serve. However, a lethal mix between relaxation, complacency, a drop in adrenaline, and loose play on his opponent's part struck him. Duckworth found a break and raised his level substantially from that moment onward. With a high percentage of first serves, effective court openings, brilliance with his forehand, and the ability to unsettle Jódar—who was squandering his opportunities almost by inertia—the match escalated to an agonizing tiebreak that the Australian rightly won.

The alarms went off, especially after witnessing a dramatic fall towards the end of the second set, followed by the physio's attention in the third set. Things were not clicking for Rafa; he made too many errors with his forehand, hesitated to unleash parallel shots, while the Australian flew across the court, playing above his usual level at times. James even went a break up, but Rafa fought back courageously and, in the tenth game, after much effort, he asserted his dominance, securing a substantial advantage on the scoreboard.

Those hoping for a drop in James Duckworth's performance in the fourth set soon realized it wouldn't happen. The Australian stayed strong, raising his game each time the Madrid player had break opportunities. For Rafa, the key was his service consistency, having regained some physical and mental freshness. He kept pushing for the coveted break, and he found it in the twelfth game, capitalizing on several errors from the Australian, sealing the final victory of a player with ambitions at Roland Garros 2026.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Sin sufrimiento no hay gloria