Serena Williams’ ex-coach judges if Rafael Jodar is really good enough to challenge Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz

The Spaniard then reached the semifinals of the Barcelona Open and then the quarterfinals in each of Madrid, Rome and Roland Garros.

Where do you think Rafael Jodar will be ranked at the end of 2026?

After an indifferent grass season, Jodar made his second tour-level final at the Washington Open, beating the likes of Lorenzo Musetti and Arthur Fils en route before falling to Taylor Fritz.

He has since made the semifinals of the Canadian Open and is now ranked 11th in the world, having started the season 165th.

Rick Macci discusses the potential of Rafael Jodar and Joao Fonseca

Jodar and Joao Fonseca, also 19, have been tipped by many as the two best candidates to snap the dominance of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner on the ATP Tour.

But Serena Williams’ former coach, Rick Macci, is not fully convinced about the potential of the two teenagers.

“Those guys are going to go into the top five because they’re so young,” said Macci in an interview with Tennis 365.

“But, the way Sinner plays – he has firepower off both sides, and he can produce quality off of quality. He’s hitting the ball 80 miles an hour eight times in a row, and holding the baseline.

Which Grand Slam title would you like to see Joao Fonseca win?

“And his mind’s made of granite — that’s why he’s number one on the planet! He has the most important thing, he doesn’t have all the motor skills like Carlos.

“Alcaraz, he checks every box. The only time he gets in trouble is when he has too many options. But what a good situation… his toughest opponent, a lot of times, is in the mirror. It’s not the other guy.

“So, these other guys can make a cameo and be top five, but no one that I see right now is going to be in that mix [with Alcaraz and Sinner], because they still have a few things not like them — whether it be a little different movement, or maybe not as strong at this or that.

“Whereas Alcaraz checks every box, and the way Sinner plays, especially in 2026, you can’t penetrate the guy on any surface.”

Rafael Jodar’s results at Grand Slams so far this year

Jodar made his Grand Slam debut at the Australian Open earlier this season after coming through qualifying at Melbourne Park.

There, he earned his first win at a major against Japanese player Rei Sakamoto before falling to Jakub Mensik in the second round.

Jodar then enjoyed a stellar run at the French Open, advancing to the quarterfinals, where he was beaten by eventual champion Alexander Zverev.

At Wimbledon, Jodar struggled with the grass, barely coming through his second-round match against compatriot Pablo Carreno Busta before losing to Shintaro Mochizuki.

He will now enter the US Open as the highest seed he has been at a major so far in his career.