London, June 29: In an impressive start at Wimbledon 2026, Spain’s rising star Rafael Jodar has advanced to the second round. On Monday, he triumphed over British wildcard player Felix Gill with a score of 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 in his first tour-level match on grass courts.
Despite being less experienced, the 19-year-old Jodar showcased remarkable composure. He broke Gill’s serve five times out of eleven opportunities and won 84% of points on his first serve. The match lasted for 1 hour and 56 minutes.
Jodar acknowledged the unique challenges posed by grass courts but expressed satisfaction with his performance. After the match, he stated, “I think this surface is a bit different from the other two. You have to pay attention to every little detail because the game moves very quickly. If you don’t serve well in a game, it’s hard to regain that break. I managed the situations very well during the match, so I’m happy.”
This victory marked Jodar’s first win against World No. 220 Gill in their head-to-head encounters, solidifying his place in Spanish tennis history. He became the sixth Spanish player in the Open Era to win a men’s singles main draw match at Wimbledon, following in the footsteps of legends like Jose Moreno Tallada, Sergi Bruguera, Tommy Robredo, Rafael Nadal, and Carlos Alcaraz.
Having had a stellar season, Jodar entered the All England Club as the 23rd seed. He participated in the 2025 Next Gen ATP Finals and clinched his first ATP Tour title in Marrakech in April. He also reached the quarter-finals of the ATP Masters 1000 events in Madrid and Rome. Earlier this month, he played in his first Grand Slam quarter-final at Roland Garros.
In the second round, Rafael Jodar will face fellow Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta. This match will serve as a rematch of their memorable fourth-round encounter at Roland Garros, where Jodar made a comeback after trailing by two sets. Carreno Busta secured his spot after Denis Shapovalov withdrew from their opening match while trailing 6-3, 7-6(7).
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