Rafael Jodar vs. Learner Tien
The 19-year-old Spaniard and the 20-year-old Californian have taken turns as the ATP’s Newcomer of the Moment in 2026. Tien began by making the quarters in Melbourne and Indian Wells and rising to No. 21. As his momentum slowed on clay, Jodar grabbed the baton and hasn’t stopped sprinting with it.
On their own, they offer two very different futures. Jodar is a state of the art attacker, while Tien wins with speed, steadiness, smarts, defense—everything but power. They’ve met once before, at the Next Gen Finals, with Jodar winning in five first-to-four-game sets. Now they’ll face off for real.
I’ll take Jodar, because clay is his natural element, and he’s been rolling on it. Winner: Jodar
👉 Estimated start time: 6:10 a.m. ET | 3:10 a.m. PT
▶️ STREAM live on the Tennis Channel app 🔗
