New York (AFP) – Spaniard Rafael Jódar, the great sensation of the year in men's tennis, made a horrible debut at the US Open on Wednesday by losing in straight sets to the Chinese Bu Yunchaokete.
First modification: 09/02/2026 - 21:27 Last modification: 09/02/2026 - 23:16
Bu, number 124 in the world ranking, had entered the main draw at the last minute due to the injury of Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis.
Even so, the Chinese defeated Jódar, thirteenth in the ATP, 6-2, 6-1 and 6-1 to celebrate his first victory in a Grand Slam.
The match was supposed to be played on Tuesday but was canceled due to rain, which came again on Wednesday, stopping the match in the third set.
The 19-year-old from Madrid had an unrecognizable performance, committing up to 36 unforced errors, compared to Bu's 21, and without having a single break opportunity.
The game was stopped for almost two hours due to the downpour when Bu dominated 4-1 in the third set, but Jódar did not react either when the break came back.
The Madrid native's first appearance at the US Open was one of the biggest attractions of the men's tournament.
Two years after winning the junior title, Jódar returned to Flushing Meadows as the twelfth seed in the last Grand Slam of the year.
In his breakout season, Jodar had surpassed his debut in the three previous major tournaments and advanced to the quarterfinals of Roland Garros and the Masters 1000 in Madrid and Rome and to the semifinals of Montreal.
© 2026 AFP
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