Rafa Jódar and Florentino Pérez
/ Real Madrid
Iker Kind
Rafa Jódar has become the talk of the tennis world. The Spanish player, who has drawn all the attention since Alcaraz’s injury, took advantage of a new addition to this year’s Mutua Madrid Open: the chance to train at the Bernabéu. The Real Madrid stadium set up clay courts for players to practice in one of the city’s most iconic venues.
During the Mutua Madrid Open, Jódar already showed he is a true Madridista. Under the watchful eye of Jude Bellingham, he celebrated his debut victory with open arms, just as the Englishman does when he scores a goal. After his elimination by Jannik Sinner, he seized the opportunity to train at the Bernabéu, the home of the club he supports.
Jódar continued his sporting day by visiting the Movistar Arena, where Real Madrid’s basketball team was playing the second playoff match against Hapoel Tel Aviv. There, he met Florentino Pérez, who gifted him a club jersey with his name on the back. Earlier, during training, Jódar had been seen wearing a Jude Bellingham jersey.
“Before the match started, President Florentino Pérez presented the Spanish tennis player with two Real Madrid shirts bearing his name and the number 1. Jódar, who won his first ATP title in Marrakech in April, just delivered an outstanding performance in his debut at the Mutua Madrid Open,” explained Real Madrid’s website about the meeting between Florentino Pérez and Rafa Jódar.
Rafa Jódar, one of the seeds at the 2026 Rome Masters 1000
/ Europa Press
The Madrid native is the biggest sensation of the tennis season, not only in Spain but also internationally. And for good reason. He has only been on the circuit for a few months and could already be seeded at Roland Garros. In just two weeks, he went from outside the top 100 to breaking into the world’s top 40.
Against Sinner, he proved he can hold his own against anyone, and each week he shows an improved version of himself. It is hard to gauge his ceiling at this point. Jódar’s next tournament will be the Masters 1000 in Rome, the last stop before Roland Garros, where he can continue to add points and climb the ATP rankings.
