#NextGenATP star continues breakout 2026 season

Rafael Jodar's magical 2026 season took its latest turn on Saturday night in Cincinnati.

The Spaniard mounted an improbable come-from-behind victory in his debut match at the Cincinnati Open, overcoming a double-break deficit in the third set to defeat Denis Shapovalov 7-5, 4-6, 7-5 in an instant classic under the lights of Grandstand at the Linder Family Tennis Center.

Staring down a 1-5 deficit in the third set, the 19-year-old #NextGenATP star Jodar battled from the brink, reeling off six straight games to steal the win.

"I had to give it all today to win this match," Jodar said. "I’m super happy with how I controlled all my emotions today, especially in the third set... Very happy to get my first win in Cincinnati.”

Saturday's win marks the latest feat in what has been a remarkable breakout season for the former University of Virginia standout Jodar.

The 19-year-old Spaniard started the season ranked outside of the Top 100 in the PIF ATP Rankings but has since charged to No. 11. He has saved some of his best tennis of the year for the North American hard-court swing, in which he has so far produced a runner-up finish at the ATP 500 event in Washington and a semi-final run at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Montreal.

With the win against Shapovalov, Jodar now boasts a staggering 14-3 record in deciding sets this season, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. He currently sits seventh in the PIF ATP Live Race to Turin and is well in contention to seal a debut appearance at November's Nitto ATP Finals.

Jodar will face Alejandro Tabilo in the third round in Cincinnati, after the Chilean overcame Jan-Lennard Struff 6-3, 6-4, with the winner of that match advancing to face either Flavio Cobolli or Alexander Blockx. On Saturday, seventh seed Cobolli downed Miomir Kecmanovic 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 to seal his third-round berth, while 28th seed Blockx defeated Mariano Navone 6-3, 6-4.