This boy is moving too fast

Carlos Navarro - 7 Aug 2026 | 03:16
Rafael Jódar Lorenzo Musetti ATP ATP Montreal 2026

New exhibition by Rafa Jódar to advance to the round of 16 of the Masters 1000 in Montréal, overshadowing Musetti with a simply fabulous performance.

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Jódar and one of his best victories as a professional against Musetti. Source: Getty

There are times when Rafa Jódar leaves us speechless. Astonished. Amazed by the power of a hurricane that not only doesn't lose strength as the months go by, but also evolves and becomes more lethal in certain areas. Cement seems to be the natural habitat of the Madrilenian, who in his third match in four days annihilated Lorenzo Musetti with an outstanding performance (6-4, 6-3) to advance to the round of 16 of the ATP Montreal 2026, showing total control of the baseline, fired up with his forehand and never mentally leaving a duel where he felt in control the whole time.

He started without converting some break points, allowing Lorenzo to feel comfortable on return. It was barely an illusion, a small trick to draw the Italian into a false sense of comfort. While in Washington the match had many shifts, at times the transalpine managed to deceive Rafa with the slice, and the battle progressed along the lines of parity and alternatives, Montreal was a devastating replica when it comes to Spanish interests: from 3-3 in the first set, he took the reins of the duel... and never let go.

Jódar sobrepasó por completo a Musetti en la noche canadiense. Fuente: Getty

Constant pressure on the backhand and overwhelming with the forehand, the keys to Jódar's victory

It wasn't his best day with the serve (not a single ace) and he wasn't brilliant (though solid and consistent) with the backhand either... but the Madrilenian built his victory on several key points that reflect an unexpected tactical maturity for someone who has barely been on the ATP circuit for eight months. Rafa was clear that the backhand area, on the medium-speed Canadian cement, was the zone to target, the punching bag to hit... and he certainly did: 51% of the Madrilenian's shots targeted the backhand area, with depth and perfect precision to weave a web from which Musetti couldn't escape.

The Italian occasionally sought refuge in his slice, but today he faced someone very capable of defending (and counter-attacking, in fact) against that weapon. The Madrilenian's reverse was a genuine dagger, surely his standout shot tonight, turning every short ball from Lorenzo into candy. Rafa gorged on Haribos, having found the perfect timing with this shot: against opponents with heavy topspin, with balls that float and give him all the time in the world to set up his long lever, and on surfaces that also offer that space, Jódar shows that his forehand can be as or even more dangerous than his backhand. Today, certainly, was the case.

A victory that says a lot about Jódar's present

Three matches in four days. Change of country, tournament, and conditions. It doesn't matter: Rafa keeps accumulating victories, earning his doctorate in a very challenging university at a rapid pace. After holding on in the match against Moutet despite a slow start, today's victory was the perfect springboard to feel hopeful in a Masters 1000 more open than ever: we can hardly demand anything from a phenomenon of such precocity, but it's impossible not to think of great things seeing the level of play shown by the player from Leganés. 

The next challenge will be Jiri Lehecka, and Rafa finds himself in the section, perhaps, of the greatest difficulty of the entire event... but none of that changes the perception that playing like this he can beat anyone left in the draw. Let the next one pass, as Jódar is more than ready for the challenge.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Este chico avanza demasiado rápido