Rafael Jódar dropped his opening match at the ATP Finals in Turin, falling 6-4, 6-4 to world number one Alexander Zverev on Monday.
Twelve months ago, Jódar sat 156 spots lower in the rankings and competed at the Next Gen Finals for the world’s top under-21 players, marking how much his life has changed in a single year to now rub shoulders with the world’s best.
Zverev, a two-time tournament champion who arrived in Italy fresh off winning the ATP Player of the Year award, neutralized his opponent with a commanding service performance. The German player landed 89% of his first serves in the opening set, firing serves exceeding 220 kilometers per hour that regularly neutralized Jódar’s return game.
Before the match, players took to the court in a tribute that included past number ones Jannik Sinner — who has been slowed by a knee injury during the second half of the season — alongside Stefan Edberg, Boris Becker, Marat Safin, Lleyton Hewitt, and Juan Carlos Ferrero, after which Zverev played one of his best matches since ascending to the top of the ATP rankings.
“Es un partido imposible,” the report noted of the difficult matchup facing the Madrid native against a player making his eighth appearance at the event.
Zverev surrendered only five points on his serve during the first set, three of which came in his final service game. Jódar spent the opening 40 minutes hunting for a breakthrough before finally earning his first break opportunities, which Zverev promptly erased with consecutive high-velocity serves.
The two-time champion claimed an early break in the second set as well, leaving Jódar to battle just to keep the scoreline close. Group stage matches in Turin reward players for every individual game won, making each point necessary to advance past the round-robin phase.
Despite the straight-sets setback, Jódar remains in contention to reach the semifinals. The round-robin format means opening losses do not spell immediate elimination from the tournament.
To advance, the Spanish teenager must win his remaining two group matches. His next test in Turin will come against the loser of the opening match between Ben Shelton and Arthur Fils.
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