Suffering is the toll to achieve glory

Rafael Jódar achieved a hard-fought victory over Thiago Tirante in the second round of the ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai 2026. The young Madrid player overcame critical situations to end up winning 4-6 6-2 6-3 and dream of a memorable performance at the Chinese event. His next opponent will be Jiri Lehecka.

The season is long, there are always ups and downs, and for someone like Rafael Jódar, who is playing his first year as a professional tennis player, this part of the season can be hard to face. After months marked by brilliant consistency, the Madrid player has entered a phase where there is no easy match. Thiago Tirante displayed his danger in the match against Jódar in the second round of the ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai 2026, from which Rafa can extract a great deal of learning.

This was Jódar's victory over Tirante in Shanghai

Accepting the situation, fighting until the end, and having the humility to know that everything done in previous months does not allow one to take anything for granted. Only in that way can a young tennis player recover from the blows suffered at the US Open and Tokyo, as well as face a trap match like the one he had against Tirante in Shanghai. Rafa knows that with good performances, he could compete in the ATP Finals, but he would do well to isolate that thought from his mind and focus on continuing to progress each day, without faltering in adverse situations or experiencing euphoria in good moments.

The Madrid player had a poor start to the match and paid dearly for it. The Argentine managed an early break that he maintained solidly thanks to his impressive serving level, losing only four points on serve in a first set where Rafa could not find a way to hurt him. He was able to find some rhythm and confidence with his serve, staying close behind the Argentine and not getting frustrated.

Rafael Jódar finished with 28 winners and 33 unforced errors

Thanks to that patient and constructive attitude, everything changed radically in a second set where Jódar showcased his best version. He was able to take the initiative, taking advantage of a significant drop in the percentage of first serve points played by Tirante (48%) and applying pressure with incisive baseline tennis, built on solid support and accurate direction changes with aggressive intent and margin for error.

But the Argentine was not going to give up. The forces were again equalized in a grueling third set, where Rafa found himself suffering from the start. He was punished again by the first serve of a Tirante who rolled up his sleeves on return, grinding from the baseline and forcing Jódar to hit one more ball every time. The Spaniard accepted the challenge, saving six break points in the fifth game, despite growing doubts with his forehand.

Jódar saved 6 break points in the third set

That was the turning point for a Jódar who gained confidence and went for everything in the eighth game, capitalizing on some doubts from Tirante. A poorly executed drop shot, a brilliant return from the Spaniard, a dizzying baseline exchange resolved with a winning cross-court forehand, and a double fault from the Argentine led to the coveted break in favor of Rafael Jódar, who drew on the intangibles of a great champion in the making to resolve that critical situation.

A boost of morale and confidence for the Madrid player, who needed to recapture good feelings after his collapse in Tokyo. The ticket to the third round of the ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai 2026 allows him to dream of a great performance at the Chinese event, as well as maintain hope of continuing to add points in the ranking that could earn him a spot among the best to participate in the ATP Finals.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, El sufrimiento es el peaje para alcanzar la gloria