ATP Tour

Kafelnikov on Jodar: 'He is like a young Carlos Alcaraz five years ago'

Rafael Jodar has taken the ATP Tour by storm in 2026, from claiming his first title in Marrakech to reaching his first major quarter-final at Roland Garros. The Spaniard’s peers and fans alike have widely praised the teen star, but they are not alone.

Some of the best players in the history of the sport have had their eyes on Jodar, too. Before the clay-court major, one of just 29 members of the prestigious ATP No. 1 Club, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, told ATPTour.com he believed Jodar would make a deep run in Paris.

“[He] really impresses me,” Kaflenikov said. “I feel like he might be the darkhorse, which is going into the semi-final with his draw because if he does play Zverev in the quarters, he is going to give [him] so many problems. I predicted him to actually be in the semi-finals.”

Fittingly, Jodar will now play second seed Alexander Zverev in the quarter-finals Tuesday, the first meeting in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series. Zverev is a three-time major finalist who entered the tournament with more ATP Tour titles (24) than Jodar had career tour-level wins (22 before Paris).

"Jodar vs Zverev [will] be best TV ratings match of whole tournament this year!!" Kafelnikov wrote on X Sunday.

It has been an eventful tournament for Jodar, who has won back-to-back five-setters, including a two-set comeback against countryman Pablo Carreno Busta. Zverev, on the other hand, has lost just one set through four matches.

But the 19-year-old Jodar has shown no fear of the moment, competing like a veteran in his Roland Garros debut.

“I think he has got a great attitude,” Kafelnikov said before the main draw began. “He is like a young Carlos Alcaraz five years ago. He's exciting to watch. I'm enjoying the last couple of months watching him play.” 

It was not until recently that Kafelnikov learned that Jodar played college tennis at the University of Virginia. There, the Madrid native qualified for the PIF ATP Next Gen Accelerator, which creates additional playing opportunities on the ATP Tour for those who earn eligibility through performance across junior, college and professional pathways.

“It just shows me that the Americans are doing a good job providing, first of all, education for the young kids, and the facilities, which all the colleges have,” Kafelnikov said. “You need to be really stupid not to use that opportunity and become a proper tennis player. So good for him, I am happy for the kid.”