“A bit of luck and experience”: Sinner stops Jodar’s dream with eleven points in a row
Jannik Sinner defeated Rafael Jodar 6-2, 7-6 on Wednesday afternoon. He’ll play the winner of the match between Frenchman Arthur Fils, the No 21 seed, and Czech Jiri Lehecka, the No 11 seed, in the next round
Jannik Sinner, Madrid 2026 | © Madrid Trophy Promotion
Jannik Sinner, the top seed, dispatched Spanish wild card Rafael Jodar 6-2, 7-6 (0) on Wednesday afternoon at the Mutua Madrid Open, ending the teenager’s captivating home run with eleven consecutive points to close out the match and advancing to the semi-finals of this tournament for the first time in his career.
The result was not in doubt for long. Sinner took the first set in 33 minutes, reading Jodar’s power off the forehand and neutralising it with the flat, deep returning that has made him almost unbreakable at Masters level. The second set was tighter – Jodar found rhythm in patches and pushed his opponent to a tiebreak – before Sinner won it 7-0, claiming every point from the moment it began.
Sinner saved seven break points, including five in the second set, two at 3-3 and three at 4-4. It was the clearest possible demonstration of what separates the world No 1 from the players chasing him.
Sinner: “He pushed me to the limit”
“He pushed me to the limit. He’s an incredible player. I tried to be ready as much as I could,” Sinner said. “I got lucky a bit in the second set but also a little bit of experience. I’m incredibly happy. It’s been a high quality match.” On completing the set of all nine Masters semi-finals, he was characteristically measured: “Reaching semis in every tournament is tough. I try to improve on every surface. Every condition here is quite unique. But look, I’m happy. Now we see what’s coming.”
He has now won 26 consecutive matches at Masters 1000 level, 52 of his last 54 sets at this level, and 43 of his last 45 matches across all competitions. The Madrid semi-final is a first – the one milestone on this surface that had eluded him. He leaves the quarter-finals having not dropped a set.
Jodar’s week deserved a better ending, and the crowd on Manolo-Santana gave it the farewell it had earned. The 19-year-old from Madrid – ranked No 687 a year ago–— beat De Minaur, Fonseca and Kopriva to reach a quarter-final that only Nadal and Alcaraz, among Spanish teenagers, had previously reached at this tournament.
Fils or Lehecka next
He held his own in the second set and the stadium believed until the tiebreak began. Once Sinner found that gear, there was nothing to be done. “First time playing against him. Also for the next times – hopefully we play again,” Sinner said. “He knows what to expect. I know what to expect.”
He faces the winner of the match between Frenchman Arthur Fils, the No 21 seed, and Czech Jiri Lehecka, the No 11 seed, for a place in the final.
