Rafa Jódar, the 19-year-old from Madrid, took the first set 6-1 against Japan’s Shintaro Mochizuki in their Wimbledon third-round match at the All England Club. But the early lead did not take him into the last 16. On 4 July 2026, Mochizuki came back to win 1-6, 7-6, 6-4, 6-4, ending Jódar’s tournament run in four sets.
The scoreline shows how the match turned. Mochizuki recovered from losing the opening set, taking the second in a tie-break and the next two 6-4. Jódar started strongly, but Mochizuki advanced from the third-round encounter.
Jódar entered Wimbledon as the tournament’s 23rd seed, giving him an established place in the draw. The draw offered a possible route toward Jannik Sinner’s section, though Mochizuki’s win decided the immediate outcome. The Japanese qualifier went on to reach the quarterfinals, where Sinner beat him 6-3, 7-6(0), 6-3.
Court 18 holds a prominent place in Wimbledon history. John Isner and Nicolas Mahut played their record-breaking match there in 2010. Jódar’s opening set made for a compelling moment on the court, but the four-set result became part of Mochizuki’s deeper tournament run.
Jódar also drew attention on the ATP Tour beyond Wimbledon. The tour’s 2026 Shanghai video archive featured him in semifinal coverage and a final highlight showing him earn an early break, adding context to his season. At Wimbledon, though, his match against Mochizuki turned on the comeback after the first set.
Spanish athletes have continued to make headlines internationally. Jorge Martín’s pole position at Assen in MotoGP was another example, as covered in this report on motorsport achievements. Jódar’s commanding opening set showed his ability to compete on grass, while Mochizuki’s recovery decided who advanced to the fourth round.
