Madrid, April 21 (IANS) Having established himself among the most promising names in the locker room, Rafael Jadar, who is all set for his maiden appearance at the Madrid Open in his home city, said he will try to handle the pressure as he has done before.

Jodar, as of Monday, is an official member of the world’s Top 50, having climbed to No. 42 in the PIF ATP Rankings. The Spaniard has claimed three ATP Challenger Tour titles and ended the 2025 season competing in the Next Gen ATP Finals.

Having captured his first ATP Tour trophy in Marrakech and reached the semi-finals at the ATP 500 in Barcelona, he now finds himself in the limelight athe Madrid Open.

“I try to handle the pressure as I have done since I was little”, Jadar was quoted by Madrid Openw ebsite. “I’ve always been a very calm person both on and off the court. I know there’ll be moments when things don’t go as well as they have in recent tournaments. In those moments, you prove whether you’re mentally strong. Those moments will also make me stronger,” he said.

“I’ve never set myself a goal,I have to take it tournament by tournament, it’s my first year on tour. I think I’m still a young player and I’m discovering a lot at these tournaments. I need to gain experience, compete against these kinds of players. I don’t set targets for the future, just take it tournament by tournament and do my best”.

Jodar’s next challenge will be a clash with Dutchman Jesper de Jong, in a draw where Alex de Minaur and Joao Fonseca loom on the horizon.

“I have a lot of room for improvement in all areas,” he admitted. “If you want to compete against the best in the world you have to be a very well-rounded player on all surfaces. I have to keep up the consistency I’ve shown these past months.”

–IANS

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