Jódar understands no discomfort or warm-up to dominate in his Wimbledon debut

Andrés Tomás Rico | 29 Jun 2026 | 14.10

Jódar understands neither discomfort nor warm-up to excel in his Wimbledon debut. Photo: Getty Images

Streaming Wimbledon live tennis

🎾 Felix Auger Aliassime vs Alexander Shevchenko

Sign up with Bet365 here
Make your first deposit of at least €5
Go to the “Live” section and watch every match

Watch the match on Bet365

A debut at the top. Neither the abdominal discomfort nor Wimbledon being a first for him could prevent Rafa Jódar from starting with a victory at the London tournament. It was as if he hadn't changed surfaces or gone through a physical setback; the Spaniard once again displayed his dominant version, showcasing new necessary skills to excel on grass. So far, everything has gone according to plan after defeating Felix Gill by 6-3, 6-3, 7-5, in one hour and 58 minutes.

After two weeks of uncertainty and doubts about Jódar's presence at Wimbledon, the Madrid native appears on Court 3 without any apparent abdominal discomfort, the reason he had to withdraw from Queen’s and Eastbourne, making his debut for the first time in the renowned London tournament. Facing him, Felix Gill, a British prospect ranked 214 in the world, also making his first appearance at the iconic tournament.

How Rafa Jódar achieved his first victory at Wimbledon 2026

It's worth remembering that despite it being his debut in Wimbledon's main draw, the Leganés native reached the quarterfinals in the 2024 junior draw, two months before his success at the US Open junior event. Therefore, he already knows what this demanding and technical surface entails: wrist control, footwork, patience, and, above all, effectiveness with the opportunities that arise.

And that's precisely what he did, also taking advantage of Gill's nerves and inexperience to break in the sixth game, taking the lead and consolidating with his serve to close the first set at 6-3 in just half an hour.

Jódar's plan was unfolding perfectly, always making the right decisions and persisting with his serve and net play, as well as drop shots. Even in baseline exchanges, he knew how to endure until winning the point. This led to a second break at the start of the second set, hinting at another comfortable set. However, a poor service game allowed the Briton to have a chance to level at 4-4.

But the Spaniard resisted, ending the rebellion attempt in the following game and sealing the set (6-3) to go 2-0 up on the scoreboard and pave the way for his first victory on the London grass.

🥳 There's no better way to start.

Victory for Rafa Jódar in his professional grass debut.

🇪🇸 He will face Pablo Carreño in the 2nd round at Wimbledon.

The entire tournament, exclusively on@MovistarPlus. And the best images, on @MPlusDeportes.
#LaPistaDelTenis… pic.twitter.com/amvHrtXOGJ
— Movistar Plus Deportes (@MPlusDeportes) June 29, 2026

However, that game in the second set where he almost faced the first break was no coincidence. His first serve was off, and Gill was exploiting it well, breaking the Spaniard's serve to love. The young Briton gained momentum, requiring Jódar to unleash his best shots to prevent a bigger gap in the third set.

Jódar did not want his Wimbledon debut to be tarnished, nor did he want to strain his abdominal muscles too much after two weeks of activity. He increased his aggression, recovered the break, and took the lead again (3-2). His first serve reappeared at the crucial moment in the third set, along with the determination to finally close out a match he had under control but could sway at any moment.

He had the chance to seal the deal in the eighth game with several break points but it was in the twelfth game, just before the tiebreak, where he ended Gill's resistance, who had improved as the match progressed. Thus, Rafa Jódar debuts at Wimbledon 2026 with a convincing victory, (6-3, 6-3, 7-5), overcoming the few moments of doubt, while the abdominal discomfort seems to be forgotten and the adaptation to grass completed.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Jódar no entiende de molestias ni de rodaje para arrasar en su debut en Wimbledon

ATP