De Minaur against Jodar, Fonseca against Cilic & more related news here

NextGen stars Rafael Jodar and Joao Fonseca will headline Friday’s playing order at the Madrid Masters. They will face Alex de Minaur and Marin Cilic, respectively, during the second round competition.

(WC) Rafael Jódar vs. (5) Alex de Minaur

Jodar is skyrocketing up the rankings. The 19-year-old rose to No. 41 in the world after starting the season at No. 168. He was ranked No. 540 as of August 2025. Jodar has already won a whopping 14 matches on the main tour in 2026, as well as a second-place finish at the Canberra Challenger. The Spaniard made his debut this Wednesday at the Mutua Madrid Open, when he beat Jesper de Jong 2-6, 7-5, 6-4 after two hours and 30 minutes.

The level of the competition will increase on Friday with the second round date with De Minaur. However, the good news for Jodar is that he will be playing at home and on clay. This has always been De Minaur’s worst surface, and so far in April he has been mediocre on it. The Australian, ranked eighth, lost to Valentin Vacherot in the quarterfinals in Monte Carlo and to Hamad Medjedovic 6-3, 6-4 in the second round in Barcelona. This is a great opportunity for Jodar, who had a nervous performance against De Jong but should improve his level substantially with a match under his belt.

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(27) Joao Fonseca against Marin Cilic

Jodar played at the University of Virginia for one season. Fonseca considered doing the same but, understandably, decided to turn professional. Returns are still early for each NextGen star, but both paths appear to be working. In the case of Fonseca, he is already ranked 31 in the world and, with just 40 points to defend between now and the French Open, he is practically safe to be seeded in the second Grand Slam of the season. The 19-year-old has impressed at the Masters 1000 level in recent weeks, highlighted by his fourth-round effort in Indian Wells and his run to the quarter-finals in Monte Carlo.

First up for Fonseca this fortnight is a first-round matchup against Cilic, who is obviously at the opposite end of the career spectrum. The 37-year-old may be a long way from having won the US Open (2014), but he still sits at a decent 51st in the rankings. Taking advantage of Madrid’s high altitude, Cilic defeated Zizou Bergs 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Wednesday. Unfortunately for the Croatian, he will have to defend much more against Fonseca. The Brazilian has all the tactical advantages in this matchup, so his good form should continue.

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