“It’s another step in the process,” Jodar said. “If you want to be a great player, you have to take many steps in your career and this is one of them. So I’m doing this as a step in my long career path.”
It was Jodar’s fourth straight win over Tabillo and he now leads their head-to-head 4-1. He beat him 6-4, 6-2 last week in Basel and 6-2, 6-1 in Cincinnati in August. He also won their Washington semifinal 6-7 (6), 6-4, 6-4 after losing 6-1, 6-2 in Indian Wells in March.
Jodar converts five of 12 break points against Tabillo
Tabillo broke first for 2-1, but Jodar broke straight back to make it 4-2 again. He took the set on his fifth set point, breaking for the third time.
In the second set, Jodar saved two break points at 1-1 and broke for 3-1. Tabillo broke back, but Jodar made it 5-3 on his fourth break point and served out his first match point.
The Spaniard hit 10 aces, didn’t miss a double fault and won 71% of his first serve points. He converted five of his 12 break points.
“The ball goes a lot faster and everything speeds up, so you have to be very prepared so the matches are faster and the serve and the return are important,” he said in Spanish of the indoor conditions. “I always have the same mindset to try to impose my game and know which points are important.”
Jodar is ninth in the Turin race after his first round victory
Jodar started the week ninth in the Race to TurinShortly before Alex de Minaur, the last spots in the ATP Finals will be decided in Paris.
“I know it will be a reward for me for the results and the games this year,” he said in Spanish. “But if that doesn’t happen, I’ll be happy with the season I’ve had.”
Ranked 30th in the rankings, Tabillo has not won a title this season. His only final of 2026 came in February in Rio de Janeiro, where Thomas Martin Etcheverry beat him 3–6, 7–6 (3), 6–4.
Rolex Paris Masters 2026 first round results
Lorenzo Musetti d. Hubert Hurkach 7-6 (3), 7-6 (10)
Luca Van Aschen d. Mariano Navone 6-3, 7-5
Stephanos Tsitsipas vs Student Tien (15) (Tuesday)
Novak Djokovic (10) vs Valentin Vacherot (Tuesday)
Rinki Hijikata (Q) d. Luciano Darderi 6-2, 6-2
Andrey Rublev vs Thomas Martin Echeverri (Tuesday)
Cameron Norrie vs Matteo Arnoldi (monday)
Mattia Bellucci (Q) vs Lorenzo Sonego (Q) (monday)
Artur Rinderknech vs Francisco Cerundolo (16) (Tuesday)
Tommy Paul (12) vs Holger Rune (PR) (Tuesday)
Daniel Merida d. Sebastian Baez (LL) 6-4, 6-2
Quentin Hallis vs Arthur Ferry (Tuesday)
Jan-Lennard Straff (SE) vs Arthur Gea (WC) (Tuesday)
Casper Rood d. Juan Manuel Cerundolo (Q) 6-3, 6-2
Rafael Jodar (9) d. Alejandro Tabillo 6-2, 6-3
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (13) vs Moise Kouame (WC) (Tuesday)
Denis Shapovalov vs Karen Khachanov (monday)
Ignacio bus d. Zizu Bergs 6-2, 6-4
Kyrian Jacque (WC) vs Tomas Machac (Q) (monday)
Alex Molkan (Q) vs Titouan Droghe (WC) (monday)
Benjamin Bonzi (Q) vs Taylor Fritz (11) (Tuesday)
Brandon Nakashima (14) vs Matteo Berettini (Tuesday)
Hugo Humbert vs Bottic van de Zandshulp (monday)
Alex Michelsen vs Jiri Lehetska (Tuesday)
Sources: ATP media records; game statistics from Flashscore; ATP ranking table.
