ATP Thanasi Kokkinakis Rafael Jódar Bu Yunchaokete

Kokkinakis withdraws at the last minute, and Jódar will have a new opponent in his US Open debut

Andrés Tomás Rico - 1 Sep 2026
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Kokkinakis withdraws at the last minute, and Jódar will have a new opponent in his US Open debut. Photo: Getty Images

A few hours before the debut of Rafael Jódar at the US Open 2026, an important change has occurred in the proceedings. The Spaniard will not debut, as planned, against Thanasi Kokkinakis after he announced his withdrawal from the draw at the last moment, and his first opponent in New York will be Bu Yunchaokete, who enters as a lucky loser.

The Chinese player reached number 64 in the ATP ranking last April; however, he currently occupies the 124th position in the world listing. He has only played two matches in ATP circuit tournaments this year, losing both. But most of his season has been dedicated to the Challenger circuit, where he won on the grass in Birmingham and Ilkley, both consecutively.

As would have been the case against Kokkinakis, this will be Jódar's first matchup against the Chinese player. But this does not change the Spaniard's roadmap, who will still be favored to take the victory. In fact, Jódar's path in the early rounds of the US Open seems relatively easy, since with the withdrawal of Casper Ruud, who would have been his potential opponent in the third round, he avoids playing against a seed until the round of 16, theoretically Zizou Bergs or Alex de Miñaur.

Rain may delay Rafa Jódar's debut at the US Open 2026

However, it remains to be seen at what time Rafa Jódar will take to the court to play his match against Bu Yunchaokete. The match is scheduled for the third shift on Court 17, that is, around 9:00 PM in Spain. But the rain that is battering New York is delaying the start of the day, so it is very likely that the match will start somewhat late. It is worth noting that at the US Open, only Arthur Ashe Stadium and Louis Armstrong Stadium have retractable roofs.

 

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Kokkinakis se baja a última hora y Jódar tendrá nuevo rival en su debut del US Open