Rafa Jódar Targets Full Hardcourt Tour in North America

Spanish tennis player Rafa Jódar is setting an ambitious goal for his first professional North American tour: to compete in all four major hardcourt tournaments of the summer, culminating at the US Open. "We'll take it week by week, but that's the plan," Jódar told EFE, expressing his determination to play through the entire hardcourt swing.

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We'll take it week by week, but that's the plan.

Currently ranked world No. 25, Jódar is no stranger to the North American circuit or the hardcourt surface, having played collegiately at nearby Washington University. He used the week before the Washington tournament to fulfill academic commitments, including meetings and exams.

"I've been training quite a bit these past few weeks to try and do my best," Jódar stated. Since the French Open, his only other tournament appearance was Wimbledon, where he withdrew due to an abdominal injury. He has since recovered and is ready to compete.

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I've been training quite a bit these past few weeks to try and do my best.

Jódar will make his singles debut at the Washington ATP 500 event against France's Arthur Fils. He will also participate in the doubles draw, partnering with American Brandon Nakashima. Following Washington, the tour continues with the Masters 1000 events in Canada and Cincinnati before the US Open.

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As an objective, I want to put results and rankings aside a bit. Keep improving in every tournament, in every match I play, so that they all serve as experience for continued improvement, with progression always on the rise.

For this inaugural hardcourt tour, Jódar's primary objective is personal growth as a player, rather than focusing solely on results or rankings. "As an objective, I want to put results and rankings aside a bit. Keep improving in every tournament, in every match I play, so that they all serve as experience for continued improvement, with progression always on the rise," he affirmed. "It's my first year on the tour, I'm still aware that I have many things to learn, and all these lessons will help me become a better player. And that's the goal."

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It's my first year on the tour, I'm still aware that I have many things to learn, and all these lessons will help me become a better player. And that's the goal.