Rafael Jodar will get his first-ever Roland Garros campaign underway on Monday.
The 19-year-old Spaniard burst onto the scene at this year’s Barcelona Open, where he made the semifinals in front of a home crowd.
Jodar then reached back-to-back quarterfinals at the Madrid Open and the Italian Open, and has since moved up to 29th in the ATP rankings.
Where do you think Rafael Jodar will be ranked at the end of 2026?
Despite the small sample size, the young star has been tipped by many as a genuine contender for the French Open title.
But tennis legend Jim Courier suggested there is one problem Jodar may face in the French capital.
Jim Courier discusses Rafael Jodar’s chances at Roland Garros
In an interview with Clay, Courier said: “Rafa is young, and he’s so talented. He’s so good. But we just don’t know. We just don’t know what it’ll look like four hours in and a fifth set.
“Is he still going to have the ability to hit these powerful shots on the run the way he does in these best-of-three set matches?
Who is your dark horse for the Roland Garros title this year?
“I think Warren Buffett, the great American investor, had a great expression. He said, you only know who’s swimming naked when the tide goes out.
“And you kind of only know if the players have done the work physically when they get to a fifth set.”
How Rafael Jodar got on at the Australian Open
Earlier this year, Jodar made his Grand Slam main draw debut at the Australian Open after coming through qualifying.
He earned his first major win by beating Japanese player Rei Sakamoto, emerging victorious in five sets.
But Jodar’s campaign at Melbourne Park came to an end when faced with Jakub Mensik, who defeated him in straight sets.
Now, he’ll take to the courts at Roland Garros for the first time, and will play Aleksandar Kovacevic in round one.
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