When Jannik Sinner plays in Madrid: where to watch the highly anticipated challenge against Rafa Jodar on TV

Jannik Sinner returns to the court at the Madrid Masters 1000 in the quarterfinal match against Spain’s new rising tennis star Rafael Jodar. The 19-year-old Iberian champion stunned everyone by finishing in the top 8 at the Caja Magica in his third career 1000 and now he will test himself against the world number one, who will also have to reckon with the home crowd.

He will need the best Sinner in the match scheduled for Wednesday, April 29, no earlier than 4 p.m. at Manolo Santana Stadium. The South Tyrolean tennis player, who is in the hunt for a fifth consecutive Masters 1000, a feat never achieved by anyone in the past, has beaten Bonzi in the opener, Dane Moller in the third round, and Cameron Norrie in the round of 16.

With the young Jodar there is no previous record, but the Azzurro has taken a keen interest in him in recent days, following his match against Alex De Minaur in the stands and praising him in a press conference. The match will be broadcast by Sky Sports and streamed on SkyGo, NOW Tv and Tennis Tv platforms.

Sinner made no secret of his esteem for his upcoming opponent, which also came after carefully studying his game: “In the hotel I had managed to review his whole match with Fonseca: he plays at a really high level. He is a player of great quality and I am convinced that we will cross paths often in the future.” The South Tyrolean added how this quarterfinal can have a value beyond the simple result: “Facing him already here will be useful, also to understand the feelings in view of important appointments like Rome and Roland Garros. For my part, I will do everything I can to arrive ready.”

To understand the magnitude of the challenge, it is worth retracing Jodar’s path in the Caja Magica. The Madrid native, born and raised right in the Spanish capital, eliminated in order Jesper de Jong, top 10 Alex de Minaur, the other young phenom Joao Fonseca and finally the Czech Vit Kopriva with a clear 7-5, 6-0, thus earning the right to challenge the world number one. A run that has already made him forget, at least temporarily, the absence of Carlos Alcaraz, who is stuck in the pits due to a wrist problem.

Jodar’s profile is that of a predestined player who looks precisely to Sinner as a role model. “I think he’s a great player and the role model for me,” said the Spaniard, who shares physical structure, attitude and clean strokes, especially in the backhand, with the Italian. It is no coincidence that Boris Becker remarked, “He reminds me of Sinner, he is a very complete player.”