Spaniard to face Fritz in the biggest final of his career

#NextGenATP star Rafael Jodar continued his meteoric rise with a thrilling victory Saturday at the Mubadala DC Open, where he battled past Alejandro Tabilo 6-7(6), 6-4, 6-4 in the semi-finals.

With his victory, the 19-year-old Spaniard advanced to his first ATP 500 final, the biggest title match of his young career. Standing between the rising Spaniard and his maiden ATP 500 title is third seed Taylor Fritz, who defeated Brandon Nakashima in the day's opening semi-final in Washington.

"It is great," Jodar said following his milestone victory. "I am doing good things with my team and especially my dad. He's always there with me, so I really appreciate it... It means a lot to be in the final. But I have to keep pushing because there is another tough match tomorrow when I will face Fritz in the final."

In a high-octane clash defined by breathtaking all-court rallies, Jodar remained composed despite dropping a narrowly contested opening set. Refusing to let Tabilo seize complete control, the Spaniard matched the Chilean shot for shot from the baseline and also showcased exceptional skills at the net. At 3-3 in the second set, Jodar produced a clutch volley to earn a break point before converting it to secure a 4-3 lead, shifting the momentum firmly in his favour.

From then on, the 19-year-old did not look back. In an impressive third-set display, Jodar broke Tabilo's serve in the opening game and continued to fire behind his own deliveries, eventually cruising to victory having erased the only break point he faced, according to Infosys ATP Stats. With his two-hour, 23-minute triumph, Jodar improved to 1-1 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Tabilo, having lost to the Chilean at the BNP Paribas Open in March.

Last August, the #NextGenATP Spaniard was No. 540 in the PIF ATP Rankings and began the 2026 season at No. 168. With his quarter-final win on Friday, Jodar rose to No. 19 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, securing a Top 20 debut.

With his semi-final triumph, the 19-year-old has now moved up to a new career high of No. 15. Jodar's breakthrough season is highlighted by a title at the ATP 250 event in Marrakech, a semi-final run in Barcelona, and quarter-final appearances at Roland Garros, Madrid and Rome.

In Washington, Jodar overcame eighth-seeded Arthur Fils and former World No. 4 Kei Nishikori in his first two matches without dropping a set and then defeated fourth seed Lorenzo Musetti in the last eight. The teenager is the third Spanish men’s finalist in tournament history after Alex Corretja in 2000 and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina last year.