Spaniard is set to play back-to-back at majors for the first time in his career

Less than a year ago, Rafael Jodar was finishing his time at the University of Virginia in the United States, concluding an experience that helped him grow as a player and as a person.

The 19-year-old has touched down in Paris as one of the season's breakthrough stars and a seed (No. 27) at Roland Garros, where he prepares to play in the main draw for the first time.

His rise has been so quick it almost requires a second read. From playing on the ATP Challenger Tour to qualifying for the Next Gen ATP Finals, and his first experiences against the top young players in the world, Jodar has now moved on to ATP Tour events, discovering new venues almost every week and arriving at Roland Garros as a seed, something nobody could have imagined a year ago.

“I got here two days ago and I'm very excited to compete in this tournament for the first time,” Jodar said ahead of his debut against Aleksandar Kovacevic. “It's going to be my first Grand Slam tournament on clay. I'm very excited and I'm trying to prepare as well as possible for my first match on Monday.”

The remark sums up the moment well. There's enthusiasm, but also a remarkable calm. There's novelty, but not dizziness. It is a tournament he has been watching on television for years. But there’s also the feeling that Jodar has not come to Paris only to take a selfie outside the venue. He arrives after months in which all the new experiences, far from intimidating him, have only seemed to urge him forward.

“They've been good months for me,” he admitted. “I've really enjoyed the process, playing Challengers at the end of last year, qualifying for the Next Gen ATP Finals and having the chance to compete against the best young players. And this year, playing ATP tournaments in Spain and around the world has been very special for me since it's my first year. Discovering all the tournaments is always something very special. I'm trying to get used to all of this.”

Getting used to it. The phrase pales in comparison to what he is experiencing, but it suits the way Jodar is handling his rise. He does not speak like someone who is overwhelmed by the pace of the journey. Nor does he try to hide his ambition. He communicates with a blend of caution and confidence, aware that his life has changed, but without letting all the noise alter much of what brought him here in the first place. That has been one of the keys to his breakthrough: competing as if every new stage were a natural progression from the last.

Where others need time to acclimatise, Jodar has responded with pure tennis. In big tournaments, against players with more experience, on courts he had never set foot on before, and with ever greater exposure, the Madrid native has found a way to keep being himself.

“I know it's difficult because everyone here is so good and everyone tries to give their best,” he explained. “But I try to play my tennis in every tournament, impose my style. And if things aren't going well, I try to accept the situation and be aware that I have solutions to fix what's happening in the match. I think taking my game to the court has been one of the keys to doing well in these recent tournaments.”

The concept of acceptance without losing composure also comes up when asked about nerves. In a career that is very much still under construction, Jodar already understands very well that matches are not only won when everything is flowing. Victories can also be earned when you have to correct, wait, adapt and resist.

“I try to do what I've always done; impose my own game,” he said. “And if my game isn't working, I try to adapt a bit to the match, as we've seen in previous matches this season. Knowing that matches are very long, that they can swing many times, and just because things go well at the start doesn't mean you'll win, or the other way round, if the match starts badly you can end up turning it around. Especially here, at a Grand Slam, matches are very long, and anything can happen.”

That will be one of the big challenges of his debut in Paris: the five-set format. Jodar has already earned significant experience in his short career, but Roland Garros will pose a different physical and mental challenge, on a surface where matches can take endless twists and turns in one afternoon.

“It'll be a new experience, playing best-of-five sets,” he acknowledged. “I'll try to give my best on the day. Everyone here is very good. They can make things difficult from the first day. You have to try to be as well prepared physically and mentally as possible and know that matches can swing a lot. You have to hang in there, because anything can happen in such a long match.”

The word 'enjoy' crops up several times as Jodar talks, but not as a cliche. For the Spaniard, enjoyment takes nothing away from the importance of the result. It simply means understanding where he is, what he's been through and the competitive privilege that comes with starting to test himself in places that were previously only open to him in his dreams.

For a Spanish tennis player called Rafa, Roland Garros is not just any tournament. The shadow of Nadal looms around every corner in Paris, down the corridors, on centre court, and in the very recent memory of the tournament. Jodar doesn't shy away from the comparison, but frames it accordingly; as admiration, rather than a burden.

“Rafa has done enormous things at this tournament,” he said of Nadal. “It's incredible what he's achieved here. When you're at the tournament and playing in the tournament, you really appreciate and value what he did, winning 14 times. It's unique.”

Carlos Alcaraz is also an obvious role model for any young Spaniard making a name for himself on tour. Jodar watched last year's final — between Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner — from Madrid, having just returned from the United States. The match left its mark on him.

“I watched the final at home, in Madrid, having just got home from the United States,” he explained. “It was a great match from both players, not just Carlos, who won the final. I think it was a match of the highest level and I really enjoyed watching it on television. It was an epic final that will always be remembered.”

But if there's one thing Jodar is clear about, it's that sharing a nationality with two huge names guarantees absolutely nothing. Nor does it require living with constant comparisons. His message in that regard was clear.

“Being from the same country as Carlos and Rafa doesn't mean you'll achieve the same things as they've achieved,” he stated. “I’m just trying to follow my own path, build my own career and enjoy the process, because it's incredible to be in all these places playing against these great players.”

That path also involved a rather unusual decision among the elite of Spanish tennis: to take the university route. Jodar chose Virginia, where he competed, and he regards his time there as an essential stop, rather than a detour.

“It was a great year for me,” he explained. “I learnt a lot, played many matches and developed a lot as a tennis player and as a person. I was able to live on my own, without my parents, with the coaches supporting me, obviously, and also with my teammates. They always wanted the best for me. It was a great experience. I have very fond memories of my year at the University of Virginia and it was another chapter in my career.”