Rafa Jódar, the promising 19-year-old tennis player from Madrid, is set to compete in the ATP 500 tournament in Acapulco this week, following a wildcard invitation to enter the main draw. Initially registered for the qualifying rounds, Jódar’s impressive start to the season caught the attention of the tournament organizers, leading to his inclusion in the main event without the need for qualification.
Jódar, who recently achieved his highest-ever ATP ranking at 114, has kicked off 2026 on a strong note, reaching the final of the Challenger 125 in Canberra and progressing to the second round of the Australian Open, his career’s first Grand Slam, after successfully navigating through the qualifiers. Over the past two weeks, he has participated in two ATP circuit events, advancing through the qualifiers at the ATP 500 in Dallas before falling in the first round to Denis Shapovalov. He then made it to the second round of the ATP 250 in Delray Beach, where he faced a narrow defeat against top-10 player Taylor Fritz.
In the first round of the Acapulco tournament, Jódar will face off against Cameron Norrie, currently ranked 26th in the world and a former champion at the Masters 1000 Indian Wells. Their match is scheduled to take place in the early hours of Tuesday, Spanish time. A victory for Jódar could propel him into the top 100 of the ATP rankings for the first time in his career, marking a significant milestone in his burgeoning journey in professional tennis.