Jannik Sinner defeats Rafa Jodar to reach his first-ever Madrid Open semi-finals
Madrid, April 29
World No. 1, Jannik Sinner, defeated Rafa Jodar 6-2, 7-6 in the quarterfinals to book his semis spot of the Madrid Open 2026 on Wednesday. Sinner also made history as he completed the set of reaching all nine ATP Masters 1000 semi-finals, as per the ATP website.
The Italian defeated the 19-year-old Spaniard in a match that lasted for one hour and 55 minutes to reach the Madrid semi-finals for the first time in his career. With this achievement, he became only the sixth player since 1990 to reach the semi-finals at all nine ATP Masters 1000 events.
The 24-year-old now joins an elite group that includes Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Andy Murray, and Alexander Zverev, who completed the full set earlier this year at Indian Wells.
After the match, Jannik Sinner praised Rafael Jodar for pushing him hard, calling it a high-quality match. He admitted some luck in the match but credited his experience, expressing happiness at reaching his first semi-final in Madrid.
"He pushed me to the limit. He's an incredible player. I tried to be ready as much as I could. But I'm incredibly happy. It was a very high quality match. I got a bit lucky in the second set, but also [had] a bit of experience. I'm obviously very happy to be in the semis here for the first time. It means a lot to me." Sinner said of Jodar, as quoted by the ATP website.
Earlier, Sinner advanced to the quarter-finals of the Madrid Open with a comfortable straight-sets victory over Great Britain's Cameron Norrie, winning 6-2, 7-5.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Jodar gave him a tough fight in that second set! 7-6 shows the young Spaniard has real potential. Sinner was honest about getting lucky, which is refreshing. Tennis is growing globally, and we need more such battles.
Great match! I just wish Indian tennis also gets such depth and competition. Our players often struggle in Masters events. That said, Sinner's humility in praising a 19-year-old opponent is classy. Respect ✌️
Another masterclass from Sinner! He's making history look routine now. Beating Jodar who is only 19 and already pushing top seeds—that's the future of tennis right there. Can't wait to see who he faces in the semis! 🎾
Honestly, Sinner's game is so clean. No drama, just pure tennis. The second set was tight—Jodar really pushed him. But experience won the day. Hope Sinner goes all the way now. Madrid needs a new champion!
Solid performance. But I think the media overhyped this 'historic' stat a bit—reaching all 9 Masters semis is a big deal, yes, but it's not as rare as they make it sound. Still, Sinner deserves credit for staying consistent year after year. Good luck in the semis! 🏆
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