Rafael Jodar defeated Casper Ruud, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the Shanghai Masters quarter-finals.
The Spanish youngster battled back from a set down for a fourth time in Shanghai to take down Ruud and secure his spot in the semi-finals. Jodar is now 4-0 at the Shanghai Masters, having made his debut just six days ago.
Jodar was understandably delighted with the win and his performance, but he isn’t satisfied. The 20-year-old is keen to make more progress before the end of the 2026 season.
Rafael Jodar wants ‘more’ at the final few tournaments of 2026
“I was feeling great on court; I think it was a very close match. Casper [Ruud] played the important points in the first set better than me. I couldn’t win the break points on his serve; I knew I wanted to come back again. So, it was a very tough game; I had to give my best level today to win this match,” he said during his on-court interview.
Rafael Jodar vs Casper Ruud – Match stats
| Stats | Rafael Jodar | Casper Ruud |
| Performance rating | 8.5 | 7.9 |
| Serve quality | 8.3 | 8.0 |
| Unreturned serve % | 29% | 33% |
| First serve % | 63% | 67% |
| First serve win % | 75% | 61% |
| Second serve win % | 52% | 46% |
| Second serve average speed | 153 km/h | 170 km/h |
| Return quality | 7.7 | 8.0 |
| Break points won | 5/15 | 3/7 |
| Forehand winners | 14 | 11 |
| Backhand winners | 8 | 5 |
| Forehand unforced errors | 12 | 22 |
| Backhand unforced errors | 19 | 14 |
| Forced errors | 30 | 34 |
| Net points won | 4/9 | 8/15 |
| Baseline points won | 64 | 41 |
| Points won under nine shots | 95 | 80 |
| Points won over nine shots | 8 | 7 |
“I am super happy with how the season is going; very high level, I think, still a lot of things to improve, which is very good because that means I can become a better player in the future.
“I want more things, this first year on tour, and there are still a few tournaments, so I’ll try to give my best in the matches that I have left this season and get ready for the next ones because there is still a long way to go.”
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Jodar still has a lot to play for in 2026. By beating Ruud in the Shanghai Masters quarter-finals, Jodar moved into the ATP Finals qualification places. The Spaniard sits ninth (the top nine qualify due to Jannik Sinner’s injury), 29 points ahead of Australia’s Alex de Minaur.
If he continues to play as he has in Shanghai, there is no reason to doubt Jodar’s chances of playing in Turin later this year. During Sky Sports’ post-match coverage, former British tennis star Naomi Broady gave her verdict on Jodar’s level.
Rafael Jodar’s route to the Shanghai Masters semi-finals
- 2R [WIN] vs Thiago Agustin Tirante, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3
- 3R [WIN] vs Jiri Lehecka, 4-6, 7-6, 6-4
- 4R [WIN] vs Botic van de Zandschulp, 6-7, 6-4, 6-2
- QF [WIN] vs Casper Ruud, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3
“What a performance, one of my favourite performances of the year from [Rafael] Jodar, I think. Incredible that he’s still finding more levels, new levels, to take his tennis to. How early was he taking the ball today? It’s going to be a tough one for Ruud to take on the chin, but good to see him back playing a great level of tennis himself, simply just outplayed today,” she said.
If Jodar wins his semi-final match, he will lead De Minaur by 279 points and will lead the Aussie by 629 points if he takes the title. But who stands between Jodar and a maiden Masters 1000 title?
Rafael Jodar will play Daniil Medvedev or Tommy Paul next
Jodar will play Daniil Medvedev or Tommy Paul in the semis. The Spaniard has yet to meet either player on tour, but would surely fancy his chances in both matchups, especially against Paul, a player he is ranked five places above.
Then, in the final, Jodar would meet Alexander Zverev or his countryman Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. Again, Jodar would be a favourite in one match-up, but would be a clear underdog against Zverev, the future world number one.
Zverev and Jodar have met once before, in this year’s French Open quarter-finals. The German outclassed Jodar on the clay, winning in straight sets en route to his first Grand Slam title.
Only time will tell if Jodar can take revenge in Shanghai, although the youngster won’t want to get ahead of himself. He will first turn his attention to the semi-finals and either Paul or Medvedev. Jodar will play his semi-final match on Saturday, October 17.
