Stefanos Tsitsipas has been very impressed by what he has seen from Rafael Jodar so far.
Jodar has beaten Joao Fonseca and Alex de Minaur to reach the fourth round at the Madrid Open this year.
This has continued an impressive breakthrough from Jodar, who was ranked outside the top 900 last year and is now on the brink of being seeded for the French Open.
Jodar has already been compared to Carlos Alcaraz, but Tsitsipas believes there is another player that he is also like.
Stefanos Tsitsipas claims Rafael Jodar is a ‘hybrid’ of Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev
Tsitsipas is currently the world number 80, which is his lowest ranking in eight years, but he has found some form again in Madrid.
After joining Jodar in the fourth round, where Tsitsipas will play defending champion Casper Ruud, he was asked about the Spanish teenager.
Tsitsipas called Jodar a ‘great talent’, and while he suggested there were some similarities to Alcaraz, he claimed that there were also some differences that made him more like Alexander Zverev.
Where do you think Rafael Jodar will be ranked at the end of 2026?
“He’s a great talent. I’ve been keeping an eye on him,” said Tsitsipas. “He’s got a different style than Carlos Alcaraz. He’s slightly taller. He reminds me a bit of a hybrid between Zverev and Carlos, he’s got a bit of both.
“He’s got a good serve. He’s got a bit more reach on the serve than Carlos because he looks a bit taller. I don’t know if he’s taller, I think he’s taller.
“It’s going to be interesting for him in the future to, if he keeps on with the same attitude and doesn’t lose his head along the way, he’s going to have some big results.”
Stefanos Tsitsipas gives his verdict on Rafael Jodar only having his Dad in his players’ box
Tsitsipas split from coach Goran Ivanisevic last year, and now, like Jodar, is coached by his father again.
Jodar’s father has been the only person in his box for his matches at the Madrid Open, and Tsitsipas was also asked for his verdict on this.
“I actually saw that and I loved it. Because it shows humility, very humble. I love it,” said Tsitsipas. “Sometimes keeping it simple is the best way to proceed. I think he should keep it that way. If it works, it’s great.
“I’m not the type of player that supports too many members, too many team members in the box. It can get overwhelming sometimes. There’s only a limited amount of people that are actually going to provide expertise and knowledge and something important when you’re playing a match.
“The job of the fitness coach is to help keep you fit. The job of the physio is to help you recover better. But the most important job when you’re on the court is obviously the coach. You got to figure it out together. I’m loving the synergy between father and son. I think it’s really nice to see.”
What has been the best ATP match of 2026?
Tell us in the comments below!
While Tsitsipas takes on Ruud for a return to the Madrid Open quarterfinals, Jodar will play world number 66 Vit Kopriva.
The only way that Tsitsipas and Jodar would be able to play for the first time in Madrid is if they were both to reach the final.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
