This year’s French Open has been defined in many ways by the weather, an unprecedented week of searing heat wreaking havoc on and off the court. That trend came to an end in an instant on Sunday morning as the cool, damp conditions took over in Paris.
Rain or shine, the rise of Rafael Jódar endures. The 19-year-old took another major step forward as he put together a monumental comeback, recovering from two sets down for the first time to defeat his veteran Spanish compatriot Pablo Carreño Busta 4-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 and reach the quarter-finals.
Jódar’s breakthrough remains one of the most significant stories of the year so far. He now has an outlandish 19 wins and three defeats in his first full clay-court season, reaching the quarter-finals at every event with his Marrakech title, Barcelona semi-final and quarter-finals at Madrid and Rome paving the way for his first grand slam quarter-final. Having been ranked No 707 a year ago, he will rise to about No 22 in the ATP rankings.
