After a freshman season that was nothing short of extraordinary, sophomore Rafael Jódar has taken the professional circuit by storm, winning his second professional title of the year Sunday at the Lincoln, Neb. Challenger and raising his world ranking to No. 210.
His first professional win was over the summer, at the Hersonissos Challenger in Crete. Since then, he has made deep runs in a handful of Challenger events — the semifinals in Winston-Salem, the quarterfinals in Columbus, then the semifinals of the Tiburon Challenger in the Bay Area Oct. 4. At that event, he demolished No. 198 Nicolas Mejia before being eliminated by then-No. 228 Columbia senior Michael Zheng, the only collegiate player ranked above him.
In Lincoln, however, Jódar looked unstoppable. In the quarterfinals, he beat No. 112 Brandon Holt in straight sets, then No. 169 Patrick Kypson in the semis, also in straight sets. In the finals, with Coach Andres Pedroso in attendance, Jódar faced Martin Damm Jr., a big-serving lefty ranked No. 240, and took home a 6-7, 6-3, 6-3 win.
With his professional career going so well, there is uncertainty as to whether or not fans can expect to see Jódar in a Virginia uniform come spring. It is important to note that, though that conversation feels negative for fans, it is one that Jódar earned with stellar play in the spring and his subsequent professional success. Asked about his plans by Alex Gruskin of Cracked Racquets, Jódar indicated that he does not yet have a clear answer about his future.
“Anything can happen,” Jódar said. “I think we’ll see how these tournaments go, but I’m very excited to represent U.Va. — that’s what I can say — I’ve enjoyed so much playing for U.Va. this past season.”
While he has enjoyed representing Virginia and has improved in college, there is no doubt that Jódar is capable of making a living on the pro tour right now — in an abbreviated season, he has already brought home over $50,000 in prize money. The question is whether or not he thinks that another season of college tennis will put him in a better position for long-term success.
Jódar definitely thinks that it can — he said to Gruskin that the structure of the college game, as well the team and coaching available, are both very beneficial to his development. More and more top juniors are choosing to play collegiately, something Jódar attributes to the opportunities provided in the NCAA.
“You are playing many matches during the season,” Jódar said. “You are trying to handle the pressure in important moments during the match. So I think college is improving a lot and I think more and more players are realizing now that it’s a good path to take.”
Jódar’s first semester of college tennis certainly gave him opportunities to improve. Joining Virginia in January as the reigning champion of the 2024 US Open boys’ singles, Jódar went 19-3 in singles, playing all but six outings on Court 1. His excellence was mirrored by his ranking — he was No. 44 in the first rankings of the spring and ended the semester ranked fourth. His stellar performance qualified him for the ATP Next Gen Accelerator, allowing for opportunities to play in a handful of Challenger tournaments.
Regardless of whether or not he will be sporting a Virginia uniform come January, there are still a few professional tournaments to be played this season. Jódar is currently playing in the Sioux Falls Challenger and afterwards will return to Charlottesville for the local Challenger Oct. 27 to Nov. 2. It is possible — even likely — that he will end the year ranked in the top 200, and he is inching closer to a spot in December’s Next Gen ATP Finals. He told Gruskin he was not yet sure if he would play any ITA events in the fall, though were he to decide in favor of that, his next and final opportunity to qualify for the NCAA individual tournament would be at the ITA Sectional Nov. 6.
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