Rafael Jódar, a former player for the University of Virginia, has made history by becoming the first Cavalier to reach the men's singles quarterfinals at a Grand Slam event, specifically at Roland-Garros 2026.
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Seeded No. 27, Jódar is competing in only his second Grand Slam. He began his French Open journey with a straight-sets victory over Aleksandar Kovacevic, followed by a win against James Duckworth. In a grueling four-hour match, he defeated Alex Michelsen to advance to the fourth round.
In the quarterfinals, Jódar faced Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta. Despite losing the first two sets 6-4, 6-4, Jódar rallied to win the next three sets 6-1, 6-2, 6-2.
"First of all, I want to congratulate Pablo for this match and for an amazing tournament," Jódar said. "We are good friends, and I wish him the best. I’m super happy with the win."
Next, Jódar will play against No. 2 seed Alexander Zverev. This season, he holds a record of 19-3 on clay, the best on tour.
Reflecting on his rise in tennis, Jódar stated, "I’m the same person. I will always be very humble, but I appreciate all of the people that came to support me today. It was a great crowd and a great atmosphere."
Jódar was one of two Cavaliers in the singles draw. Brandon Nakashima advanced to the third round after defeating Roberto Bautista Agut and Luca Van Assche but was eliminated by No. 4 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Nakashima, seeded No. 31, previously set the record for the best performance by a Cavalier in men's singles at a Grand Slam with fourth-round finishes at the 2022 Australian Open and the 2024 US Open.