Two years after first hitting together at a Davis Cup tie in Valencia, Pablo Carreno Busta and Rafael Jodar will meet for the first time on tour with a place in the Roland Garros quarter-finals at stake. Their fourth-round match is slated as the second contest on Court Suzanne-Lenglen on Sunday, with play starting at 11 a.m. local time, guaranteeing a Spanish quarter-finalist.
Rising Stars in Spanish Tennis
Jodar arrived on the national team’s radar soon after winning the US Open boys’ singles title, when he joined Spain in Valencia as a practice partner under captain David Ferrer alongside Carlos Alcaraz, Roberto Bautista Agut, Marcel Granollers, Pedro Martínez, and Carreno Busta. Then 17, the Madrid native impressed with his ball-striking and aggressive court position.
Instead of jumping straight into the pro grind, Jodar chose college tennis and developed largely outside the spotlight. A strong 2025 run on the ATP Challenger circuit convinced him to turn professional. Now 19 and part of the 2006-born group that includes Joao Fonseca and Martin Landaluce, he has risen quickly and built confidence while maintaining a composed look under pressure.
His first clay-court season at tour level has been steady and eye-catching: a semi-final in Barcelona, quarter-finals in Madrid and Rome, and now a debut run into the second week in Paris after wins over Aleksandar Kovacevic, James Duckworth, and Alex Michelsen.
Carreno Busta, 15 years Jodar’s senior and returning from an extended injury spell, has also pieced together his best major showing in years. The Asturian has beaten 12th seed Jiri Lehecka, Thanasi Kokkinakis—who retired in the third set—and Thiago Agustín Tirante to reach the last 16. It marks his deepest Grand Slam run since the 2022 US Open and his best stretch at Roland Garros since 2021.
Looking at the broader field, Carreno Busta has noted a surge of young players making noise at this year’s tournament, with several standouts in the 19-to-22 age range and others even younger, such as Moise Kouame. He sees a generation arriving with power, hunger, and joy in their tennis, even as veterans from his cohort continue to produce strong spells.
Sunday’s meeting will launch a new chapter between the two Spaniards, linking a practice-court introduction in Valencia to a high-stakes clash in Paris. This exciting matchup not only highlights the growing talent in Spanish tennis but also sets the stage for a thrilling encounter at one of the sport’s most prestigious events.