Rafael Jódar Arthur Fils jaume Munar ATP Tokio 2026 Daniel Vallejo

The opponent of Rafa Jódar in his debut in Tokyo is revealed: he avoids the worst-case scenario

Carlos Navarro - 29 Sep 2026
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Jódar already knows its first opponent in Tokyo.

Rafa Jódar now knows the name of his first opponent in the ATP Tokyo 2026. The player from Leganés is embarking on his first adventure in Asian lands during his sporting career, and he does so at the Japanese tournament, where there was tremendous anticipation to reveal his first obstacle. The draw did not give us a definitive answer, and we had to wait until the end of the qualifying round, but once the last round matches were completed this morning, we now have the first opponent that the player from Madrid will face: Paraguayan Daniel Vallejo.

The South American is starting to become a familiar face on the circuit, having made his way to the top 100 under the guidance of Gringo Schneiter, and he has not let go of his privileged spot. With victories already in places like Roland Garros and an impressive run at the Challenger level, not even fatigue could overcome him: he was coming off an incredibly long trip and a surface change (he played Davis Cup on clay in Peru last weekend), but he managed to advance to the final draw after defeating the always dangerous Jaime Faria in a tight contest (6-4, 5-7, 7-5).

This is the final draw of ATP Tokyo 2026

The name to avoid was undoubtedly Arthur Fils, who due to an inexplicable timing error did not sign up in time for the Japanese tournament and had to go through the qualifying round despite his top-10 status. The Frenchman, who would have been the second seed if he had confirmed his presence in Tokyo within the logical timeframe, also overcame his commitments and will be in the draw: his debut will be against Luca Van Assche, in a match between two compatriots and contemporaries reminiscent of their junior days.

We also had Spanish involvement in this qualifying phase: Jaume Munar rose to the occasion, defeating Aleksandar Kovacevic in the final round and will be rewarded with a matchup against none other than Taylor Fritz in his debut. It won't be an easy match, but it's a tantalizing duel for the Balearic player, eager to regain the form he had in 2025 that allowed him to face those giants head-on. Lastly, Stefanos Tsitsipas was the last to secure his place in the final draw: the Greek will start his journey against Tomás Etcheverry.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Se desvela el rival de Rafa Jódar en su debut en Tokio: evita el peor escenario