Rafael Jodar
In short
Spanish professional tennis player and world No. 11 singles player. He is currently in the news for reaching the semi-finals of the 2026 Shanghai Masters and for recent comments regarding an incident involving a ballboy.
Who they are now
Rafael Jodar is a professional tennis player from Spain. As of October 2026, he holds a career-high ATP singles ranking of world No. 11.
Why they are in the news
He is trending due to his impressive run at the Shanghai Masters, where he defeated Casper Ruud, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Dalibor Svrcina to reach the semi-finals against Daniil Medvedev. He has also been in the news after admitting he is still learning following an incident where he swore at a ballboy.
An example of their work
In October 2026, Jodar demonstrated his resilience at the Shanghai Masters by recovering from a set down to defeat Casper Ruud 4-6, 6-4, 6-3. This victory helped him secure a place in the tournament's final four.