The Spaniard who won the race against time: "I never lost faith, I always saw myself at a level to win these matches"

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'It's worth the wait, what's worth having,' says the saying. It's a phrase engraved in the history of David Jordà, a man who always believed in his abilities on the tennis court. Until time proved him right.

I met David Jordà Sanchis (Tarragona, 1994) at the Conde de Godó a couple of years ago. "Who is this 29-year-old guy who won his first ATP match?" I titled that first interview to underline that late blooming. Today, more than one person must be wondering who is this 32-year-old guy who has won his first two Challenger titles. A hard worker in tennis, plagued by injuries, marked by multiple surgeries, but with a mindset of steel. "I'm going to try until the end," he assured me on that occasion, regardless of deadlines or candles on his cake. In June 2026, after conquering Istanbul (CH75) and Lyon (CH100), his name appears for the first time within the top 200 worldwide.

Never having made a Challenger final before, to win two almost consecutively. Did you expect something like this?

Well, we had been playing well in the matches, we felt that we were dominating, that we were superior in many phases. I saw that many matches slipped away due to details, that we only lacked that consistency of winning until a moment where you click and start to see the changes. Winning two Challengers almost back-to-back? I didn't expect this, but in terms of level, we felt that we were close to all the players in the draw.

Was the second title in Lyon very different from the first one in Istanbul?

When you start reaching different stages, everything becomes more manageable. For example, when you reach that first Challenger semifinal, or that first final, experience makes you compete better. The two finals we played were very complete; in the first one, we were even surprised at how well we handled our emotions, it was a really good match. The Lyon final was different; both of us were a bit nervous there.

"The two finals we played." I find it interesting that you always speak in the plural.

It's because we are a team; I'm the one acting on the court, but behind there are many hours of work from all the people with me. It wouldn't be coherent to speak in the singular.

Who is working with you?

Right now, I'm with a coach from Seville, Pepe Juárez; we started in January and I'm very happy. My fitness trainer, Ernest Baiget, with whom I have been working for many years. Then there's my partner, who travels with me for many weeks and gives me tremendous support. I also have Jeanba Poux, who helps me in Andorra, in addition to my base in Tarragona with Álex López Morón and Juanjo García. It's a large team, that's why I'm always speaking in the plural.

Two years ago, I interviewed you after your first ATP victory. What has changed since then?

At that time, I was at my best ranking, coming from winning a match in Estoril, playing well. We had a very pleasant chat, I remember, but just in my first match at Godó, I tore my calf muscle, so I was back to being sidelined. When I returned, I tore my ankle ligaments; it was a year of a lot of bad luck. 2025 was very irregular; there were many changes, I felt a bit lost. The main change we made in December was to seek stability, so I moved with my partner to Andorra for a change of scenery, gathering a team and a coach who could travel with me most weeks. The key was that I never lost faith; I always saw myself at the level to win these matches.

Which match did you make a breakthrough in?

At the Challenger in Rome, last April. I remember losing that day, getting off the court and being very clear: 'Things have to change, we have to be more aggressive.' It was an alright match; I lost 6-4 and 7-5, but we realized that this way we weren't going to beat anyone. Besides this, another important point was watching the final in Marrakech, with Trungelliti. That was a boost of inspiration for me.

In what sense?

For us older players, that final gave us an extra motivation and faith, showing us that it's not too late. For players of my age who still haven't broken certain barriers, it can be harder to believe in certain moments. That final was like a breath of fresh air to realize that we still have time.

Trungelliti's story is amazing; did you talk to him?

Yes, we have a very good relationship. Both of us live here in Andorra, so we exchange messages almost daily.

Considering your playing style, it's surprising that these two titles came on clay courts.

It's true that I was always a player who competed on fast surfaces, tournaments where there were hardly any Spaniards, but this year we have focused more on clay. In the end, I've improved on clay, it suits me, so I'm not surprised that these results came earlier on clay than on hard courts.

You just turned 32; how are you physically?

I'm fine, I'm a guy who takes care of himself, enjoys doing physical work, and my tennis also helps me endure a bit more. I'm lucky to get free points with my serve, not much rallying, which helps me avoid many three-hour matches, with less demand. At 32, I see myself in perfect shape (laughs).

You always believed this moment would come; that's admirable.

But there were also tough moments, moments that weren't easy. In this last stage, I had many talks, especially with my partner, but I've also been working with a psychologist for a year and a half. Deep down, I always knew I had the tennis level; it was just a matter of finding the right key for the results to come. If we had seen ourselves far from the level of the opponents, then we would have had more doubts. We weathered the storm; everyone has their moments, so now it's about continuing to work.

In terms of sponsors, has any brand approached you after entering the top 200?

Not yet... I'm relaxed about that; when I was young, a brand supported me until I was 19, but after that, nothing. I don't think about it because I don't know if it will happen; for now, I buy my own shoes, rackets, strings, and clothing. I play with what I like, so I'm at ease.

Right now, you're the best tennis player in all of Catalonia; isn't that a sufficient appeal?

Age plays a role; I understand it from a business perspective. In the end, a player has to be profitable. You need to have notoriety and influence, but being #190 in the world doesn't sell two t-shirts. I have no problem with this; I play with what works best for my performance. If you look at my photos, I'm a multi-brand tennis player (laughs).

I've seen them, yes.

The other day, I played wearing Uniqlo pants, Hanta t-shirt, Artengo socks, and Asics shoes. Now my partner gave me a tremendous gift, a very cool clothing set, so I'll start going a bit more coordinated.

You win your second Challenger, Lyon, on your birthday. Did you celebrate it properly?

It was the best way to give myself a nice gift. Just the week I won Istanbul was my partner's birthday, so the other day we were already thinking about who had a birthday in a couple of weeks to find the lucky charm (laughs).

What do you need to make the leap to ATP tournaments? Do you think about it a lot?

I've always liked to play at a higher level; that's what we work for, to reach the best tournaments. Even when I was #500 in the world, I enjoyed going to play some Challenger qualifiers... I would say that in the last three years, I've only played about 5-6 Futures, so now that I have the opportunity, as soon as I can, I'll go for some ATP tournaments. Tennis is made for you to go play those tournaments, where the points are, although you can always step back if you need to win more matches.

By ranking (#190), you are closer than ever to the top 100. Does your level match too?

We are ready to compete; the Challenger circuit every week has players within the top 100, but they don't always win. We all compete against each other; the level is very even, although we need to keep working on things, but this is always the case. As of today, I don't see myself far from that level.

In a month, you gained over 150 positions in the ranking; does your schedule change a lot?

It changes a bit, but not excessively; being #190, I still have to continue playing Challengers. Between July and August, maybe the idea was to keep playing clay in Europe, but now I'll move to hard courts to prepare for the US Open qualifying and adapt to those conditions.

Your first Grand Slam, what a prize.

I'm super happy, it's the first time I'm going to play a Grand Slam qualifier. It was a life goal, of all players; one always dreams of reaching these tournaments. I won't say it's just another tournament, but the goal is the same: to reach, compete, enjoy, and do my best.

You won't have any holidays this August.

I always take a week around that time with my partner, but this year we'll have to postpone it (laughs). Besides, we're getting married in October, so they will be very special dates; there will be time to escape at the end of the season.

2026 is only bringing you good news.

Yes, it's a year where things are going well; we are all very happy.

The cherry on top would be an honorary serve at Nàstic's stadium.

Well, this year they secured their category, and that's the most important thing (laughs). I still have a great relationship with the whole board and the staff; they send me messages when things are going well, so I'm very happy to maintain this bond. I hope things go very well for both of us.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, El español que le ganó el pulso al tiempo: “Nunca perdí la fe, siempre me vi con nivel para ganar estos partidos”