Nikolay Davydenko is harsh on Jannik Sinner and Rafael Jodar

Rafael Jodar is certainly the brightest rising star of 2026: in his first full season as a professional, the 19-year-old has climbed to 11th in the world rankings, just one step away from the top 10. Many consider him the future rival of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz—a view that leaves former Russian tennis player Nikolay Davydenko skeptical. In an interview with the YouTube channel BB Tennis, he played down the young Spaniard’s prospects.

“I don’t think Rafael Jodar has tennis potential that’s so much greater than that of the others. I don’t think he can improve like Sinner or Alcaraz,” Davydenko stated emphatically. “Right now, he’s giving other players a hard time thanks to his physicality and the pressure he’s able to apply, but it’s by no means clear that he’s a cut above everyone else.”

The Spaniard was come from behind and eliminated by Flavio Cobolli in Cincinnati. After the match, the Italian explained how he managed to come back after being down a set: “I think Rafa had an incredible season and an incredible week, so I think he felt a bit tired at the start of the second set. In any case, the level of play was really high, and in the third set I pushed myself to the limit,” Cobolli said.

According to the Roman player, Jodar will soon be among the elite: “I think he’ll be very close to the Top 5 soon. I’m really happy with how I handled this match—I won a great match,” said Cobolli, who will face Tommy Paul in the next round.