Rafael Jodar is on a roll – and the Spaniard is doing it all while juggling college courses. The 19-year-old has captured two ATP Challenger titles in as many months, a surge that has seen the University of Virginia sophomore rise to ninth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah.
Jodar’s latest win came last week in Lincoln, where he stormed to the title after losing just one set. After his matches, Jodar returned to his hotel room to complete homework assignments for his five classes.
“I tried to complete all the assignments and all the tasks on Friday and Saturday so that I could enjoy the day off on Sunday,” Jodar told ATPTour.com. “I have my laptop with me. You always have to do some work. It’s good to make sure you don’t think about tennis all day. If I have some free time, I do some work to catch up on the material they do in the weeks I’m away.”
The son of two teachers, Jodar takes pride in leading academics even during his rise to professional tennis.
“They always prioritized studies,” Jodar said of his parents. “And I’m on the same page. I think that studies are very important for your development as a person.”
The qualifying cut-off date (November 10) for the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF is fast approaching and Jodar will need to continue his late-season surge to earn a spot in Jeddah. After his win in Lincoln, Jodar jumped from 18th to ninth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah – a figure that even he was surprised to hear.
“I didn’t know my ranking was there. I had no idea I was ninth in the ranking,” said Jodar, who was a sparring partner at last year’s edition of the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF. “If I qualify it would be a great opportunity to play against good players and it could be a good tournament for me.”
Trophy time for Rafa Jodar?#ATPCchallenger | @RFETenis pic.twitter.com/cvODPSHx8H
— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) October 19, 2025
Jodar is not the only Spaniard hunting for a ticket to Jeddah. His compatriot Martin Landaluce, from Madrid, is in fifth place in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah. Both Jodar and Landaluce grew up playing at Club de Tenis Chamartín.
“We’re good friends,” Jodar said. “I’ve known him since we were very young. I don’t remember the exact age. Maybe 10, 11 years old. We played a lot when we were young. We played team [events] among the juniors together. We know each other very well. We talk a lot and I am also very happy with how his season is going.”
After Jodar’s title run in Lincoln, Nebraska, University of Virginia head coach Andres Pedroso drove Jodar three and a half hours north to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where the teen will be joined this week by UVA assistant coach Brian Rasmussen for the MarketBeat Open. The Jeddah hopeful will focus on boosting his chances of qualifying for the under-20s event, which will be held from December 17 to 21.
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