Rafael Jodar is now being compared to Carlos Alcaraz after an impressive start to the 2026 season.
Jodar was ranked outside the top 900 last year, but he has made a huge climb up the rankings ever since and is now set to make his top 50 debut.
The 19-year-old has even impressed the likes of Boris Becker, who called Jodar ‘a diamond’.
Jodar made a run to the Barcelona Open semifinals this week and now Toni Nadal has revealed if he thinks he can be as good as Alcaraz.
Toni Nadal says reaching the level of Carlos Alcaraz is ‘almost impossible’ when discussing Rafael Jodar
Toni Nadal, who is the uncle and former coach of Rafael Nadal, knows exactly what a Spanish superstar looks like from a young age.
When speaking to Mundo Deportivo in a recent interview, Toni Nadal was asked about the emergence of Jodar.
While he was full of praise for Jodar, Toni Nadal admitted that he had doubts over whether he could reach the heights of Alcaraz.
“When I first saw him, I thought he was a good player, nothing more than that,” said Toni Nadal. “But he seems to get better every time I see him. He’s progressing. He’s on an upward trajectory.
“If he continues on this path, I don’t know if he can become Alcaraz—that’s almost impossible, because he’s in a league of his own—but I do see very high potential in him, top-level potential.”
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Jodar has already won his first ATP title this year, and will make his top 50 debut after reaching the Barcelona Open semifinals.
However, he is still some way off reaching the heights that Alcaraz achieved as a 19-year-old.
At 19 years old, Alcaraz was already a Grand Slam champion and had been world number one, as well as winning three Masters 1000 titles.
| Rafael Jodar | Carlos Alcaraz at 19 | |
| Career-high ranking | No.55 (Will be No.42 on Monday) | No.1 |
| ATP Titles Won | 1 | 9 |
| Best Grand Slam Result | Second Round (Australian Open 2026) | Won the title (US Open 2022) |
| Best Masters 1000 Result | Third Round (Miami Open 2026) | Won the title (Miami Open 2022, Madrid Open 2022 & Indian Wells 2023) |
Jodar still has five months until his 20th birthday and will look to continue climbing up the rankings in this time.
The teenager is currently 22nd in the race to the ATP Finals, with Jodar now gearing up to make his debut at the Madrid Open.
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