Jódar, insatiable in Shanghai: "I am proud, but I want more"

Diego Jiménez Rubio - 14 Oct 2026 | 09:29
Rafael Jódar ATP ATP Shanghái 2026 Rueda de prensa Botic Van de Zandschulp

The Spanish player showed his competitive voracity in statements following his victory over Van de Zandschulp in Shanghai, where he is already in the quarter-finals.

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Rafael Jódar, remarks after defeating Van de Zandschulp in Shanghai. Photo: gettyimages

Rafael Jódar relentlessly pursues improvement every day and aims for a brilliant performance in this final stretch of the year that will propel him into the top-10 and the ATP Finals. After reaching the quarter-finals of the ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai 2026, he appeared at a press conference and shared interesting insights about his current state.

He explores new ways to win, getting to know himself more each day and bewildering his opponents with a maturity and mental strength that is hardly imaginable for a guy his age who is in his first year as a professional. Rafael Jódar makes the impossible a reality and wants to continue advancing in the ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai 2026. He will compete in the quarter-finals of a tournament of this magnitude for the fourth time this year, and he will do so with unusual confidence and ambition.

This is what Rafael Jódar said after beating Van de Zandschulp in Shanghai

Keys to his victory over Botic

"I made some small adjustments. Starting the second set with a break in my favor helped me approach it with better feelings and a more positive mindset. I tried to fight until the last point, even though I lost the first set. I wouldn't say I played that badly in the first set; it's just that he played the important points better than I did."

"It was a tough match, as they all are. I didn't take advantage of the break points in the first set, but I served much better in the third. I'm happy with my competitive mindset, and this victory means a lot to me."

Fighting spirit and physical condition after several epic comebacks

"I'm very happy with how the week is going. In this case, I have already made three comebacks after losing the first set in all three matches. I'm very proud of my fighting ability and of always maintaining that competitive mindset. I'm very happy to reach the quarter-finals in Shanghai for the first time."

"I have no physical issues and I'm recovering well during the rest days we have here. I want to continue improving and give more of myself for the remainder of the year."

Improvement in serving, key to his success in Shanghai

"Serving is a very important part of the game, especially on hard courts. In these conditions, when the balls are new, serving well is crucial. We have been working on this shot for several months, but there is still a lot of room for improvement, not only with the serve but also with the rest of my shots."

"I will have to talk to my team and my father to see what we can improve in the serve for the coming years."

Cold, stoic, rock-solid. There are many ways to define Rafael Jódar both on the court and in front of the microphones, but what is clear is that this way of being or acting works for him. A quarter-finalist in the ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai 2026, he dreams of continuing to advance, which will require defeating either Auger-Aliassime or Ruud.

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