Rafael Jodar makes debut as hottest ticket in town; Eala begins bid | Madrid Preview & Picks

Rafael Jodar vs. Jesper de Jong

With Carlos Alcaraz out of action, Jodar, 19, will be the hottest ticket in town. Spain’s latest prodigy is a native of Madrid, and a product of its training facilities; the Caja Magica may feel like a second home to him. He has made waves on tour this spring, winning his first title, in Marrakech, and making the semifinals in Barcelona. The latter was his pro debut on Spanish soil; now he’ll take over the stage in its capital city.

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Jodar and De Jong, a 25-year-old from the Netherlands, have never played. De Jong is currently ranked 109th, and has climbed as high as 71st. He hits a clean forehand and two-handed backhand, but at 5’11, he’ll be giving up four inches to Jodar. De Jong’s biggest win by ranking was over Flavio Cobolli when the Italian was ranked 34th. Jodar is already 42nd.

Clay can be the great equalizer between players of different sizes, but in this case, the dirt in Madrid seems tailor made for Jodar’s strong serve and even stronger ground strokes. Winner: Jodar

Alexandra Eala vs. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova

Eala is a 20-year-old newcomer and Pavlyuchenkova is a 34-year-old who turned pro in 2005—i.e., the same year Eala was born.

Whatever their differences in age, they’re both on the tall side—5’9—and they both love to do the same thing: Swing hard and ask questions later.

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Both are, not surprisingly, consistently inconsistent. Eala is having the better 2026. She’s 15-10, while Pavlyuchenkova, who is making a mid-30s comeback, is 0-6 so far this season. Eala has the advantage of youth, and the leg speed and arm speed that come with it. Pavlyuchenkova has the advantage of experience; she has been playing in Madrid since the Magic Box opened in 2009.

Only rarely has she played it well, though. Despite fast clay that should be to her liking, the Russian is just 16-15 here. She has won two qualifying matches this week, but I’ll still take the player who has done better in main draws this year. Winner: Eala

Katie Boulter vs. Taylor Townsend

The 29-year-old Brit and the 30-year-old American have had many ups and downs over the years. Neither is close to her career-high ranking at the moment, but neither is having a bad season, either. Boutler is 13-7, while Townsend is 10-5 and coming off a recent final-round run in Austin.

👉 Stream live on the Tennis Channel app! (Approx. start time 10:30AM EST)

Their paths have crossed three times; twice in 2018, and once in 2024, each time on hard courts. Boulter has won each of those matches in straight sets. Considering that she’s currently ranked 30 spots higher, she’ll be favored to do it again. But Townsend has a knack for springing a surprise after a prolonged absence, and, for an American, she’s had her moments on clay. The victor will play Jessica Pegula. Winner: Boulter