Day 7 at the 2026 Mutua Madrid Open wrapped up action with a box office first Tour meeting between teenagers Joao Fonseca and Rafael Jodar on Sunday, finishing past midnight on Manolo Santana Stadium.
Spanish wild card Rafael Jodar came through his Mutua Madrid Open third round against 27th seed Joao Fonseca with a 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-1 win in two hours and eight minutes to reach his first Masters 1000 round of 16 on a late-night Sunday session.
“A very tough match,” Jodar outlined in his on-court interview. “Joao is always a very tough player, so these matches are decided by very small details and various small points. I think I did a great job on those points, trying to play my game.”
At a career-high world No. 42, Jodar continues to make the most of his outstanding run of form, delivering world-class performances in the process.
Action got underway with the 19-year-old teenagers producing a striking, red-hot display from the early stages of an electric encounter.
A battle at deuce in the first game of the opening set saw them rally with the unseeded player taking the ball early, adding pressure on the Brazilian, who managed to hold his ground.
Thrilling exchanges kept the spectators on the edge of their seats as a tense second game unfolded with Jodar fending off three break points to hold serve.
Within 15 minutes into the match, the No. 1 Brazilian racquet opened a tight 2-1 lead in his first match of the tournament.
The 27th seed received a bye in the first round and then a walkover by Marin Cilic due to food poisoning.
On the other side of the net, Jodar, who advanced to the third round after scoring a first-ever top 10 win on Friday, upsetting fifth seed Alex de Minaur 6-3, 6-1, took no time to set the scoreline even.
Building upon an aggressive display, the rising star powered forward to damage his opponent by converting his first break point.
However, the world No. 31 reacted quickly, breaking straight back in the sixth game to erase his deficit, and with a hold to love, inch ahead 4-3 to the delight of the Brazilian fans present at Manolo Santana Stadium.
He would hold onto his advantage for much of the remainder of the set, courtesy of a sharp serve and with his trademark ferocious ballstriking on full display. But so did his adversary, leading to a fitting tiebreak.
Unmoved by the pressure, Jodar took an early mini break in a rollercoaster tiebreaker, which he ultimately stole 7-4 to close out the first set in 55 minutes, winning 88 percent of the points on his first serve.
Fonseca, who earlier this month achieved back-to-back quarterfinals in Monte-Carlo and Munich, opened the second set with a break, imposing his game to lead 2-0.
Producing jaw-dropping shotmaking in explosive baseline exchanges, the Rio de Janeiro-born found the consistency he needed to extend his advantage to 3-1.
As the late-night contest passed midnight, they dropped pace, not quality.
Moreover, the two-time ATP title holder made a huge difference on the return, closing the door to even the match at one set apiece.
Staying solid behind his service, he missed only five points on serve in the entire set.
In the second game of the final set, Fonseca gifted Jodar a double fault, who, in front of his home crowd, seized his chances to convert the break and extend his lead to 3-0.
The Spaniard found an extra gear, converting a double break, fighting for every point like it was the last, despite the legs looking heavy.
Two hours into the encounter, the Marrakech champion surged to be one game away from reaching his maiden round of 16 at this level.
Saving break points on his serve, the resilient Madrid native took care of business, sealing the set 6-1 and the overall triumph on home soil at Caja Magica.
All in all, the Barcelona semifinalist rounded up a great performance, firing 28 winners to 29 unforced errors, converting three of four break points, and winning 81 percent of the points on his first serve.
On Tuesday, he will square off against in-form world No. 66 Vit Kopriva, who advanced to the fourth round after Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech retired from their match due to a left calf injury.
Hopefully, it will be the first of many encounters between two bright and talented players.