Alex de Minaur comes in at an appealing price against an inexperienced opponent like Rafael Jodar, but he is not performing anywhere near his best level in recent weeks. In contrast, Jodar is in red-hot form and also benefits from strong home support.
Jodar Steps Up Again
- Rafael Jodar has won 9 of his 10 clay matches this year.
- He is 0–2 against Top 20 players in his career.
- Alex de Minaur has cleared the opening round in clay Masters events in 11 of his last 13 appearances.
- He has an 8–4 record vs Top 50 players in 2026.
HTH
This will be their first meeting
Jodar Continues Rapid Rise
Rafael Jodar moved into the second round in Madrid with a 2-6, 7-5, 6-4 comeback win over Jesper de Jong. He lost all his service games in the opening set but recovered strongly as the match went on.
The 19-year-old has made rapid progress in just four months. After making his tour-level debut at the Australian Open, he earned multiple wins in Miami, won the title in Marrakech, and reached the semifinal in Barcelona the following week.
Those results helped him climb more than 100 places in the rankings this season, reaching a career-high of No. 42. He now looks to continue that rise in Madrid.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Spain |
| Age | 19 (17 September 2006) |
| Plays | Right-handed |
| World Ranking | 42 |
| Career High | 42 (20 April 2026) |
| Elo Ranking | 18 (Rating: 1926) |
| Tour level titles | 1 |
De Minaur Looks To Rebound
Alex de Minaur is coming off a disappointing second-round loss in Barcelona, where he fell to Hamad Medjedovic in straight sets, reflecting his recent struggles on tour.
After a strong start to the season with an Australian Open quarterfinal and the Rotterdam title, his form has dipped sharply. He has managed multiple wins in only one of his last five events, with all five recent losses coming against lower-ranked opponents.
The 27-year-old has played Madrid six times, advancing past the opening round in four of them. His best results were fourth-round runs in 2021 and 2025.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Australia |
| Age | 27 (17 February 1999) |
| Plays | Right-handed |
| World Ranking | 8 |
| Career High | 6 (15 July 2024) |
| Elo Ranking | 9 (Rating: 1995) |
| Tour level titles | 11 |