Jódar crushes Garín and Spain goes to sleep with half a ticket in its pocket

If someone had told Rafa Jódar before stepping onto the court that his first Davis Cup match would last less than an hour and have a score of 6-0, 6-1, he would probably have thought they were joking. But no. The player from Madrid made his debut in Santiago with a performance against Cristian Garín, leaving Spain just one point away from the Final Phase of the Davis Cup 2026.

The first set was more of a monologue than a match. Garín struggled to find his footing on the court: he wasn't moving, he wasn't hitting well, and he couldn't muster even the slightest competitive spirit. The Chilean crowd, which had cheered Tabilo in the first match, simply tuned out. Let's just say there was little to cheer for. On the other side, Jódar looked anything but a debutant, playing with a naturalness unusual for someone participating in their first match in this competition. Fearless, without doubts, and with an authority that made the 6-0 seem almost inevitable.

The best possible debut for Rafa Jódar

The question at the start of the second set was very simple: were we going to have a match or was this heading towards a 50-minute rout? Even Nicolás Massú didn't seem to have many answers from the bench. Communication with Garín was scarce, and the Chilean's solution seemed to boil down to one word that never quite emerged: fight.

The setting didn't help either. Santiago was experiencing a heavy day, with an increasingly threatening sky and a storm that seemed to be waiting for the right moment to make its entrance. On second thought, the storm was only falling in Garín's mind. The Chilean managed to win a couple of games, almost by miracle, but not much more. Jódar continued to do what he had been doing since the first point, dictating play and waiting for the error of a completely overwhelmed opponent.

The final score of 6-0, 6-2 was close to humiliating for Garín, but above all reflects the magnitude of Jódar's debut. The Spaniard seemed to need no adjustment to the stage, the pressure, or the jersey. Spain secured a pass this Saturday thanks to its two individual victories, with much credit going to Mérida's win over Tabilo, which was crucial for opening the tie and instilling Jódar with the confidence needed to approach his debut without complexes. On the other side, Garín faced a mission for which perhaps the pressure was just too much to bear.

Spain goes to sleep with a 0-2 lead in Santiago. Just one more point, and the ticket to the Final Phase of the Davis Cup 2026 will be ours.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Jódar aplasta a Garín y España se va a dormir con medio billete en el bolsillo