Unexplained Collapse of Jódar

Andrés Tomás Rico - 2 Sep 2026 | 23:07
ATP Rafael Jódar Bu Yunchaokete US Open 2026

The Spaniard signed one of his worst matches of the year and fell to Yunchaokete Bu in his first match at the US Open.

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Inexplicable collapse of Jódar. Photo: Getty Images

Seeing is believing. No one could believe it at court 17 of a US Open full of surprises. First Novak Djokovic, then Arthur Fils, and now Rafael Jódar. Yes, Rafael Jódar. The Spaniard, who arrived as one of the fittest players in New York, was surprised by a Yunchaokete Bu who played his best match. Meanwhile, the player from Leganés had his worst of the season and exits early in Flushing Meadows with a resounding defeat (6-2, 6-1, 6-1).

It's neither Tuesday nor is it Thanassi Kokkinakis. With a day delay and against a different opponent than scheduled, Jódar steps out to make his debut at the US Open. He will not face the Australian but Yunchaokete Bu. The world number 124, who was rescued from the qualifying rounds as a lucky loser and who was recently ranked as high as 64 in the world. Initially, a smooth debut is expected for the Spaniard. But it will all be a nightmare.

This was Rafa Jódar's tough defeat in his debut at the US Open

From the first ball, a hesitant, cold Jódar is observed, just like the weather in New York, with strange feelings. Maybe it's nerves, but games pass by and with them, breaks in favor of the Chinese player, who comes out with a higher gear, completely inspired and with brutal confidence in his game. Jódar from Leganés does not wake up, signing off on a forgettable first set: 19 unforced errors, only 4 winners, 38% first serves in, and 38% points on second serve. Meanwhile, Bu is playing excellently and takes the first set 6-2.

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Hope lies in it being a bad first set, but the second set follows the same course and more than nerves, what Jódar reflects is that the engine has failed, that he has no more fuel, that after eight months at 100%, reaching the highest levels in the most important tournaments, brushing against the Top 10 and winning his first ATP title, his 19-year-old body has said enough.

There is no reaction, only long faces of worry towards his father, who is accompanying him today David Ferrer. He continues without feeling the ball, it's not just that he isn't being aggressive, he is not even able to keep up with rallies. Games keep occurring and fall into Bu's pocket as if they were sweets. And this way, he takes the second set with a resounding 6-1. Now indeed, Jódar is in serious trouble.

No one was used to this irregular version of the player from Leganés. In fact, he has never lost in any Grand Slam debut and hasn't been out in the first round of a tournament since March. It's not even a disconnection, it's that he still hasn't stepped out of the locker room.

He tries to stem the bleeding by going to the bathroom, and upon his return, he speaks for a few seconds with his father, but nothing. It's just not his day and his body can't take it, after counting 14 matches in a month. A physical and mental beating that has taken its toll at the worst possible moment and in a tournament where he was seen as having options. Everything seems lost, but the last shot is not in Jódar's racket nor in Bu's, it's in the rain. With 4-1 in favor of the Chinese player, just two games away from pulling off another surprise, a downpour might give Jódar one last opportunity because it forces the match to be suspended.

Two hours later, both return to the fray, but the outcome is the chronicle of a death foretold. Everything remains the same, Jódar is missing and Bu is inspired. And with this surprise, Rafael Jódar's first experience at the US Open comes to an end, with a hard defeat to assimilate, both because of how unexpected it was and the result (6-2, 6-1, 6-1). 
 

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Colapso inexplicable de Jódar