From Carlos Alcaraz to the next “diamond” — Boris Becker names Spain’s rising star

Spain’s next big thing in tennis

As Rafael Nadal’s time at the top of tennis began to wind down, it didn’t take long for Spain to find its next superstar.

Carlos Alcaraz has already made a massive impact on the ATP Tour, and he’s only 22 years old. In that time, he’s already picked up 26 ATP titles, including seven Grand Slams.

At 19, Alcaraz became the youngest player to reach world number one. By 22, he had achieved a Career Grand Slam, winning all four majors at least once.

Boris Becker recently spoke about another young Spaniard who he believes could be a major star. The teenager has started making appearances on the main tour and is ranked just inside the world’s top 600.

Boris Becker speaks highly of Rafael Jodar after Barcelona victory

Rafael Jodar made a bit of history at the Barcelona Open on Friday, and he did it in front of a home crowd.

At just 19, he became only the fifth Spanish teenager in the Open Era to reach the semi-finals of the ATP 500 event.

By beating Cameron Norrie in straight sets, he joined Alcaraz, Nadal, Carlos Moya and Alex Corretja in that select group.

Becker also shared his thoughts on X, formerly Twitter: “Love his composure and maturity already. Spain is lucky to have another diamond in its arsenal.”

How Rafael Jodar has fared on Tour so far this year

Jodar began 2026 by reaching the final of a Challenger event in Canberra, where he was beaten by Alexander Blockx.

He then qualified for a Grand Slam for the first time at the Australian Open and made it through to the second round before losing out to Jakub Mensik.

After an early exit in Dallas, Jodar picked up two wins between Delray Beach and Acapulco, defeating Ethan Quinn and Norrie along the way.

His Sunshine Double didn’t start well with a first-round defeat at Indian Wells, but he reached round three of Miami after getting past Yannick Hanfmann and Aleksandar Vukic.

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