Rafa Jódar is the new sensation of Spanish and world tennis. The 19-year-old from Madrid will make his debut in a ‘Grand Slam’ after brilliantly passing the qualifying phase of the Australian Open. Jodar, before playing the first round with the Japanese Rei Sakamotoalso from the ‘qualy’, sits down with MARCA to review his brilliant career.
Ask. Is passing the preview in your first major a dream come true?
Answer. Well, a dream come true… What I am is happy with the work I have been doing in recent months. They have been three very tough games because the rivals were very difficult. I know I’m doing things right, but there is a very long way to go. I’m enjoying the process and every game I’m playing here in Melbourne. I am happy, but eager for more.
Q. You have won nine of the 10 games played this January.
R. Yes, it’s a good way to start. I knew that I was working well, that I was training well, that the results could come or not because there are other factors that influence and some you can control and others you can’t. There are games that are decided by points. In these first moments of the season, I have played these important points and moments well. That has given me the opportunity to start the year well. But there are only two tournaments and the year is very long. What makes a good player different from a very good one is knowing how to evaluate it at the end of the season and ensure that it ends as best as possible.
I am happy with my results, but there are only two tournaments and the year is very long
Rafa Jodar
Q. You played the Next Gen ATP Finals in mid-December in Jeddah. Has it helped you get in shape for this tour?
R. I would say it was just another tournament. I did the preseason, just as I had planned, for three to four weeks. The plan was always to play the Next Gen and then these two tournaments in Australia. You have to trust in the plans, in the process and in the work that is being done because then you have more options for it to turn out well. And if it doesn’t go well, then to the next tournament because there are many weeks during the year.
Q. To what extent are you surprised by their level, their consistency?
R. I attribute the level to the work I do every day and everything I sacrifice, the work I put into each training session to be better than the day before. I always want to be a little better and I know there is a long way to go. I am missing many things to reach my full potential. That gives me peace of mind and confidence to work hard. If I don’t do things well, everyone plays and you have a better chance of not achieving a good result that week.
Q. Who is with you on the bench in Melbourne?
R. I’m with a coach from the University of Virginia named Bryan Rasmussen. It had already been planned like this since the beginning of December. He is helping me a lot and I am very grateful to him because he does everything for me, whatever I ask of him and at any time. He is always there and in the games he is helping me a lot. We have a very good relationship and that is the most important thing. The relationship is key to having a good and healthy environment during the tournament. We are making a good team and I am grateful to both him and the University of Virginia. They left me one of their coaches in Jeddah and now another one here. The university league starts now and they have their games. That they sacrifice one of the three technicians they have to be with me means a lot to me.
Alcaraz congratulates me for the games I win when he sees me, it surprises him how natural he is
Rafa Jodar
Q. When you return to Madrid you will have to form your work team.
R. I haven’t thought about that yet, that’s the truth. At the moment, I’m focused on the Australian Open. When I’m done there will be time to go home and see what I need for the season. I try not to think about the future to enjoy the present.
Q. At the end of December you made it official that you were officially making the jump to the circuit and that you were leaving your studies in Virginia. Did you have to give it a lot of thought or was it a quick decision?
R. It was not a quick decision at all. I had to talk to my parents and my coaches at Virginia a lot because they have always been a special and important part of me since I got there. We talked and evaluated the two options we had. After many conversations and calls, we decided that the best thing after the tournaments in Australia was to return to Madrid and focus on playing at a professional level 100%. It was a complicated decision because it was difficult to leave Virginia where I have good friends. It has been a year in which I have had a great time and I have improved a lot as a player and as a person. Virginia will always be like my second home and when I go to the United States they will surely welcome me because they have already told me so. It’s going to be a base for me and that gives me confidence because I don’t want to lose all the friendships and everything I’ve known there.
It was a difficult decision to leave Virginia, I have improved a lot as a player and as a person
Rafa Jodar,
Q. In Jeddah you met Rafael Nadal. Did he give you any kind of advice?
R. We were talking, but it was a very normal conversation. Both Martín (Landaluce) and I asked him how his career was.
Q. You exercised with Carlos Alcaraz last Sunday. How did the occasion arise?
R. It’s funny because I already had a track to train from four to five. My coach already had everything planned. Suddenly, he was warming up in the gym and saw Samu, Carlos’ coach. I greeted him because I had seen him two years ago at the Davis Cup in Valencia. I have a very good relationship with him and, at the time, I was with Pablo (Carreño). Then he told me about the possibility of training with Carlos at five. They were going to do it with a sparring partner, but he told me that they were available. I accepted and chained two practices together. I didn’t know it was going to be on center court and it was a good workout. I maintain a good relationship with Alcaraz because he is a very good person.
Q. How do you see that he is the best tennis player on the planet when you exchange blows with him?
R. He is coming off a great season, which has allowed him to be number one. His ball rhythm is high. We fought a little, something that had already happened in the Davis Cup in Valencia. We did serves, points… It was a normal training session, the same one I had done before with Dani Mérida.
Q. Were you excited to take a selfie with him?
R. It’s just that we get along very well. Every time he sees me, he congratulates me for the games I’m winning. We talk a lot and about many things. He’s a guy I really like and I’m surprised by how natural he is.
I don’t look at what is said about me, I use social media to talk to my parents and friends.
Rafa Jodar
Q. The last time we spoke I had a game of paddle tennis pending with Álvaro Morata. Has it already happened?
R. No, in the end the opportunity did not arise. I hope we can play when I return to Madrid. It is something that is there and that remains pending.
Q. Are you one of those who is very aware of social networks and everything they post about you?
R. I’m not waiting. I hardly use social networks. If I use them it is to talk to my friends and my parents when I enjoy free time. I have many friends and I use my cell phone to talk to them and find out how they are. I don’t look at what is said about me.
