Rafael Jodar’s return game has been likened to all-time greats Novak Djokovic and Andre Agassi.
Jodar has been the breakout star of men’s tennis in 2026, with the 20-year-old rising from outside the world’s top 150 at the start of the year to the cusp of the top 10.
Following the Spaniard’s Shanghai Open final run, Jodar jumped to ninth in the Race, which would see him qualify for the ATP Finals due to the injury withdrawal of Jannik Sinner.
Despite being so young, the 6ft 3in Jodar has very few weaknesses. He moves well, can serve big, his groundstrokes are consistent and penetrating, and mental strength-wise, he looks strong, too.
But according to analyst Gill Gross, the best part of Jodar’s game is his destructive return. The commentator believes the world No 11’s return game has shades of Agassi, who was known as an offensive returner.
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And while Gross doesn’t put him at the same level as Djokovic when it comes to neutralising a serve, there are similarities there, too.
Gross said on his YouTube channel, “It is clearly at this stage in time his special sauce. You talk about Andre Agassi as an offensive returner, somebody who would take the ball early, who would find the centre of the strings and get the ball back on you quickly.
“You look at Novak Djokovic, a master of neutralisation, incredible length, athleticism, ranginess, an ability to defend the service box, to take a quality serve and to find a way to minimize the damage.
“Jodar, in some ways, is like those two who had a baby. Now, I don’t think that he is as good a defensive returner as Djokovic, but he is like Andre Agassi if you grew Andre five inches, and that is pretty significant to me.”
He added, “I don’t want to say that Jodar is Agassi and Djokovic combined necessarily, but I will say quite comfortably it’s like if Agassi had serious length. That’s big time.”
Jodar will try to cement his place at the ATP Finals in Turin when he begins his Basel Open campaign next week. The youngster’s first-round tie is against former top-20 player Alejandro Tabilo at the Swiss Indoors.
