Rafael Jódar bursts into ATP Top 60 and joins Fonseca as the leaders of the 2006 generation

Rafael Jódar and Joao Fonseca are the only two ATP players born in 2006 to reach (and also win) ATP Tour finals.
Text: Javier Escribano
Published 2026-04-07

Rafael Jódar lifted his first ATP title at only 19 years old at the Grand Prix Hassan II (the Morocco Open ATP 250), beating the veteran Marco Trungelliti (36 years old) 6-3, 6-2, in a confident run in which he only lost one set, and won every set from quarter-finals onwards with a lead of at least 3 games.

We have covered previously the stunning rise of Jódar, who won three straight ATP Challenger titles in the second half of 2025 and qualified for the NextGen finals: he went from being ranked 896th in the world at the beginning of 2025 to the 168th in the world at the beginning of the year. He continue to climb after match wins in Australia, Dallas, Acapulco, and Miami, where he reached third round. His victory in Marrakech, only his seventh appearance at an ATP Tour event, meant he jumped 32 spots, to the his current career best of 57th in the world.

Jódar joins Joao Fonseca as the leaders of the youngest generation of elite tennis players, as the only two ones born in 2006 or later to reach an ATP Tour final.

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