ATP Tour

Jodar shines in Laver Cup debut, gives Team Europe 2-1 lead

Rafael Jodar added a Laver Cup debut win to his stunning 2026 surge on Friday evening in London, where he defeated Alexander Bublik 6-2, 6-3.

Eight days after his 20th birthday, the #NextGenATP Spaniard delivered a largely dominant performance to prevail in one hour, 24 minutes and put Team Europe 2-1 up against Team World at The O2. The victory comes in the midst of an eye-catching first season on the ATP Tour for Jodar, who now boasts a 38-15 tour-level record in 2026, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index.

“It was a pleasure to represent Team Europe for the first time,” Jodar said in his on-court interview. “I felt great on court. I played against a tough player… I think the atmosphere was great, so thank you everyone for coming.”

Bublik had his chances in his first Lexus ATP Head2Head clash with Jodar, notably at 1-1, 30/40 on the Spaniard's serve. But the Kazakhstani, also making his Laver Cup debut, slipped to the ground after attempting to rush forward, leaving Jodar free to plant the ball into the open court and save break point.

From there, Jodar put his foot on the gas and, although he let slip a break in the second set for 4-1, he always had control. The No. 14 player in the PIF ATP Rankings won eight of his final nine service points to seal victory in front of 20-time major champion Roger Federer and Australian great Rod Laver.

“I also want to thank Roger, who was in the stands watching me,” Jodar said. “It’s a pleasure that he is in the stands, and also Rod Laver, whom the tournament is named after. It’s a pleasure to see him watching these types of matches, so thank you guys for being here.”

Bublik will be back on court for Friday’s second evening-session match, when he partners Taylor Fritz against Carlos Alcaraz and Jakub Mensik.