Jódar urges caution before the 2026 US Open: "Everything is new for me"
The young man from Madrid attended the press at the Media Day of the US Open 2026, revealing the feelings with which he arrives at the last Grand Slam of the year.
Rafael Jódar has rightfully earned many eyes on him leading up to the US Open 2026. The meteoric rise of the Spaniard has astonished the entire ATP circuit, and his impressive performance on the hard-court North American swing positions him as a candidate that does not correspond with that of a player competing for the first time in Flushing Meadows.
All of this was discussed by Rafael Jódar during his appearance before the accredited media at the US Open 2026, during a discreet Media Day where he displayed as much caution as excitement for his first professional appearance in New York. He has good memories of these facilities, where he was crowned junior champion a few years ago, and now comes in ranked 13th in the world, with the status of a candidate for everything.
Jódar looks to the long term and claims to be progressing a lot each week
The young Madrid native has played 50 matches so far this season, with a record of 36-14, allowing him to arrive with a lot of rhythm, but also with some physical and mental fatigue that he will seek to set aside to give his all in the last major event of the year. "Playing so many matches against such different opponents has really helped me gain competitive rhythm and improve my game," warns the Spaniard.
Many were crying out over the succession of Washington, Montreal, and Cincinnati, with hardly any time to rest, which seemed to take a toll on the Spaniard in Ohio. However, Jódar knows that he is in a process of maturation as a player where enduring the rigors of competing frequently will raise his level and provide him with very valuable experiences for the future.
"Pushing myself by competing against great players almost every week and maintaining a tournament mindset mentally is important. I see it as very positive for a player like me to have competed so much, it's a good sign and allows me to arrive with confidence. This week of training will help me a lot," he affirmed.
Rafa Jódar acknowledges that the season has been long and that everything is difficult as it is new for him
It's impossible not to make air castles about the immediate future of Rafael Jódar, seeing him in a position to fight for a spot in the ATP Finals and emerging as a player capable of reaching the finals almost every week of competition. The Madrid native is cautious and knows he is taking the first steps on a long journey.
“I am aware that I have six or seven tournaments left to play this year, but I must understand that all of this is new for me and that the conditions will be different. I am satisfied with my season, I feel that my improvement is continuous and that I am in a learning process. At the beginning of the year, if someone had told me I would be in this position, I would have been very happy,” he concluded.
Rafael Jódar will not be able to relax even a bit at the US Open 2026 as his debut will be against a player as dangerous as Thanasi Kokkinakis. When the Australian is free of discomfort and starts a tournament without the fatigue of previous matches, his level is enough to surprise anyone, making it a great test for the Spaniard.
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