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Rafael Jódar Wins Madrid Open Debut as Jude Bellingham Looks On

The 19-year-old Spaniard now gets a second-round test against fifth seed Alex de Minaur.

Overview

  • The Madrid native, who debuted Wednesday, rallied past Jesper de Jong 2-6, 7-5, 6-4 in two and a half hours on center court at Caja Mágica.
  • He celebrated with Jude Bellingham’s arms-wide pose and wrote “Hey Jude” on a TV camera before the pair met for a photo.
  • The victory made him only the third Spaniard to win a Madrid main-draw match before turning 20, joining Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz.
  • His rise has been steep this spring with a first ATP title in Marrakech, a Barcelona semi-final as a wildcard, and a jump from No. 165 in January to No. 42.
  • He is set to face Alex de Minaur next, giving him a first chance to beat a top-10 player and a clear test of his step up.