Rafael Jodar will make his Queen’s debut this week as he gets his grass-court swing underway.
The Spaniard enjoyed his breakthrough on the ATP Tour during the clay season, during which he saw his ranking improve to 23rd in the world.
Jodar burst onto the scene with a semifinal run in Barcelona before going on to reach the quarterfinals in Madrid, Rome and at Roland Garros.
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Now, the 19-year-old will make the transition from clay to grass at Queen’s, where he will aim to secure a maiden title on the surface.
Ahead of the tournament, Jodar claimed his preparations for grass-court tennis have gone well.
Rafael Jodar speaks ahead of first campaign at Queen’s
Asked in an interview with Tennis TV what his relationship with grass is like, Jodar replied: “I haven’t played much on it, but I think it’s a surface I can do well on.
“I’m getting used to this, this week with practices and everything, but it’s fine, you know.
“You have one month to play on this surface, and if you are not playing in the ATP events, you will never play [well] on this surface. It’s a season to enjoy and to have fun.
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“In Madrid, it’s difficult [to prepare] because we don’t have grass courts, so I came here to London a bit earlier.
“I had to get more days to practice, but I’m enjoying London. It’s a nice city, and to be here playing Queen’s for the first time, it means a lot to me, and I’m very happy how the transition from clay to grass is going for me.”
Rafael Jodar’s first opponent at the Queen’s Club Championships
In his first match at Queen’s, Jodar will take on Ignacio Buse, who also enjoyed a promising clay season.
Buse, aged 22, clinched the first title of his career at the Hamburg Open, where he came through qualifying.
En route to the title, the Peruvian defeated French Open finalist Flavio Cobolli, Jakub Mensik and Tommy Paul.
Jodar and Buse have never faced off on the ATP Tour, though they have played each other at ITF-level before.
In their sole clash during 2024, Buse defeated Jodar in straight sets on clay, winning 6-1, 6-3.
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