Rafael Jódar continues his advance at Roland Garros, reaching the round of 16

Rafael Jódar continues his impressive Roland Garros debut, securing a spot in the round of 16 after a hard-fought five-set match against American Alex Michelsen. The young Spanish sensation, ranked 29th in the world, battled through ups and downs to defeat the world No. 42.

The victory guarantees a Spanish quarterfinalist at the tournament. Jódar's next opponent will be his fellow Spaniard, Pablo Carreño, who at 34 years old appears to be regaining his former level after overcoming physical issues. Carreño advanced by defeating Argentina's Thiago Agustín Tirante in his own match.

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It was a difficult match. The hardest part was staying mentally present.

Jódar, who is 19 and competing in his first main draw at Roland Garros, managed to maintain his focus despite the match's fluctuations. He ultimately prevailed with a score of 7-6 (2), 6-7 (5/7), 4-6, 6-3, and 6-3.

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This is a dream come true. Today I had to fight a lot. The most important thing was to stay mentally there.

"It was a difficult match. The hardest part was staying mentally present," Jódar commented after the match. He also took a moment to wish luck to PSG in their upcoming Champions League final, given his presence in France.

This run marks a dream debut for the Madrid-born player, who is seen as Spain's great hope in the tournament, especially with national star Carlos Alcaraz absent due to injury. "This is a dream come true. Today I had to fight a lot. The most important thing was to stay mentally there," Jódar reiterated, recalling a lesson learned from his second-round match that he applied in this encounter: "I can suffer, things may not go well for me, but even then I am capable of winning."

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I can suffer, things may not go well for me, but even then I am capable of winning.