Rafael Jódar pays the price of the big stage and exits the US Open

Rafael Jódar’s first professional appearance at the US Open ended in a heavy defeat. China’s Bu Yunchaokete beat the 19-year-old Spaniard 6-2, 6-1, 6-1 in one hour and 48 minutes.

Yunchaokete had lost in the final qualifying round, but entered the main draw after Australia’s Thanasi Kokkinakis withdrew with an injury. Ranked 164th in the world, he defeated Jódar, who entered the match ranked 13th. Rain interrupted play for almost two hours at 1-4 in the final set.

The victory gave Yunchaokete his first ATP tour win since October 2025. He reached a career-high ranking of 64 early last year and has spent most of his career on the Challenger circuit.

For Jódar, the loss capped a demanding hard-court season. He reached the final in Washington in August, the semifinals in Montreal and the Cincinnati Masters 1000’s round of 16. Against Yunchaokete, he made 37 unforced errors and landed 52% of his first serves. He faced 16 break points, seven of which he lost, and created none against his opponent.

Jódar began the year ranked 168th and won his first title in April at the ATP 250 event in Marrakech. His best Grand Slam result came at Roland Garros, where he reached the quarterfinals before losing to eventual champion Alexander Zverev.