Arthur Géa Rafael Jódar ATP US Open 2026

"I was expecting to face Jódar, but it worked out well that they destroyed him"

Diego Jiménez Rubio - 4 Sep 2026
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Rafael Jódar devastated at the US Open. Photo: gettyimages

Rafael Jódar had been sowing panic in the ATP circuit for months with his meteoric progression and was seen as a strong candidate for major successes at the US Open 2026. However, his first-round elimination has caused great astonishment among fans and fellow professionals, as reflected in the words of the Frenchman Arthur Gea, currently ranked 87th in the world, who was in the same section of the draw as the Spaniard.

"I knew there were players within my reach in this part of the draw. I was expecting to play against Rafael Jódar in the third round, but I saw that he got crushed. So, that works for me (smiles). But whoever the opponent is, everyone plays very well. It’s clear that there’s an opportunity to take advantage of, as there are no seeded players left. I’m going to try to make the most of it," stated the French player, who will face Michael Zheng, currently ranked 107th in the world at 22 years old, in the third round.

 

Gea is facing the opportunity of his life at the US Open 2026

This US Open 2026 presents a golden opportunity for both players, but the words of Arthur Gea are symptomatic of how Rafael Jódar's progression was impacting the morale of all his rivals. The defeat of the young Spaniard should be interpreted as an understandable setback for a young tennis player competing in his first year as a professional.

The most curious thing is that in that section of the men's draw at the US Open 2026, both De Miñaur and Musetti have also lost, which leaves a power vacuum that will allow for a quarter-finalist to emerge among Gea, Zheng, Bu, Bergs, De Jong, and Van de Zandschulp. Tennis is unpredictable.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, "Esperaba enfrentarme a Jódar, pero me vino bien que lo destrozaran"