In Madrid today, all eyes are on the match between Jannik Sinner and Rafa Khodar. The world number one takes to the court against the 19-year-old Spaniard, who has reached the quarterfinals of a Masters 1000 tournament for the first time in his career. This season has already been a breakthrough for Khodar: he is delivering impressive results on clay and is among the youngest players in tournament history to make it to this stage.
Sinner comes into the match with a flawless record on clay courts in 2026 — 8 wins without a loss. Khodar, in turn, boasts a 12-1 record, as well as titles and semifinals at other major events this season. In Madrid, the young Spaniard has already joined an elite group that has included Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Denis Shapovalov, Carlos Alcaraz, and Jakub Mensik — all of whom reached the quarterfinals at such a young age.
The match draws particular interest not only because of the opponents’ status, but also thanks to the support of the local crowd. The Madrid stands traditionally back their own players, and today Khodar will have maximum support as he tries to defeat the world ranking leader. As RUSSPAIN notes, for Spanish tennis this event could become one of the key moments of the season.
Ahead of the meeting, many experts are highlighting Khodar’s consistency this year. His success has already brought him closer to being seeded at the biggest tournaments, as was recently reported in an article on his chances of breaking into the top 32 — details about the battle for the draw in Rome and Paris are available on our website.
For those planning to follow the match, the organizers recommend using official apps and resources to get up-to-date information on start times and broadcast channels. In particular, the AS app allows you to receive notifications about the match progress and broadcast schedule.
