PARIS -- There was a familiar refrain heard in the stands at Roland Garros on Wednesday. "Vamos, Rafa!"
It's a phrase that's been yelled thousands of times over the past two decades at the French Open, but it's been largely absent since Rafael Nadal's retirement in 2024.
But the fans in the nearly full Court 7 weren't trying to conjure up the 14-time tournament champion. Instead, the 1,500 or so who packed the seats -- which included former world No. 3 and 2013 French Open finalist David Ferrer -- were all there to catch a glimpse of the latest Spanish up-and-coming star, Rafael Jodar, in his first appearance at the Slam.
With every strike of the ball, every jump, and even when he took a hard tumble and found himself covered in clay, the crowd watched, enamored, as he battled James Duckworth. At the end of the three hours and 22 sweat-drenched minutes, Jodar won the second-round match 6-1, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 7-5 after a double fault from Duckworth.