Madrid
Fonseca vs. Jodar: Maiden meeting in Madrid
Highly anticipated clash takes place Sunday, second match from 8 p.m. local time
April 25, 2026
Mutua Madrid Open
Joao Fonseca and Rafael Jodar will contest their first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting on Sunday in Madrid.
By ATP Staff
Expect pure firepower when #NextGenATP stars Joao Fonseca and Rafael Jodar clash in a third-round showdown Sunday at the Mutua Madrid Open.
The very city where Jodar was born, Madrid could also be the birthplace of a new tennis rivalry. Sunday will mark the maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting between the teenage sensations, the first of what promises to be many encounters for years to come.
Both 19 years old, Fonseca and Jodar have skyrocketed up the PIF ATP Rankings and captivated fans along the way with their electric style of play. Fonseca, the 2024 Next Gen ATP Finals champion, won two ATP Tour titles last season (Buenos Aires, Basel) and reached a career-high No. 24 in November.
Fonseca routinely packs stadiums across the world, with his supporters easily visible in trademark Brazilian football jerseys. Meanwhile, Jodar could have home support behind him when he contests the third round of an ATP Masters 1000 event for the second time in his young career.
“Joao is a tough opponent, and I have to prepare well for this match,” Jodar said Friday. “I have to play my own game and be ready in case things don’t go as well as [in the second round]. I have to try to stay strong in those moments.”
Jodar has begun his clay-court swing in impressive fashion, having won 10 of his first 11 matches on the surface. The Spaniard earned his first ATP Tour trophy in Marrakech and reached the semi-finals in Barcelona, where he fell to eventual champion Arthur Fils in three sets. Jodar, who turned pro at the start of this season, is competing this week at a career-high World No. 42. Fonseca reached the quarter-finals in Monte-Carlo and Munich before arriving in the Spanish capital.
Last year at this time, Jodar was No. 687 in the PIF ATP Rankings. He was competing for the University of Virginia, a detail that adds a unique connection between the two rising stars. Fonseca was once committed to UVA, but ultimately decided to instead turn pro in February 2024.
In similar fashion to Jodar, Fonseca was No. 655 in the PIF ATP Rankings in February 2023, and a year later he claimed his first tour-level title in Buenos Aires to climb to World No. 68. He has since become a fixture on the ATP Tour.
Fonseca and Jodar, the only teenagers inside the Top 100, both qualified for the PIF ATP Next Gen Accelerator programme, which provides additional playing opportunities for the best up-and-coming players across junior, college or traditional pathways.
Jodar is full of confidence, having earned his first Top 10 win on Friday in a 6-3, 6-1 route of World No. 8 Alex de Minaur. Meanwhile, Fonseca will be playing his first match of the tournament. The Rio de Janeiro native had a first-round bye and then received a walkover in the second round. His opponent, Marin Cilic, was unable to compete due to food poisoning.
Sunday’s spectacle will be amplified by Madrid’s high-altitude conditions, which often rewards aggressive and ferocious ballstriking, exactly the brand of tennis this matchup is built to produce.
Watch Highlights from Jodar’s victory against De Minaur:
