Rafael Jodar, the Spanish player seeded 20th, achieved a victory against Frenchman Arthur Fils, the 18th seed, with a score of 7-6 (5), 6-3. This win, which lasted 1 hour and 42 minutes, marks Jodar’s first time reaching the semifinals of a Masters 1000 in Montreal.
Currently ranked 15th, Jodar is set to face American Brandon Nakashima, who is seeded 28th, in his next match.
Match Highlights
The second set showcased the challenges of the match. Fils started strong by winning his serve, but Jodar quickly leveled the score before breaking to lead 2-1. Fils responded by equalizing at 2-2. After several exchanges, Jodar gained the upper hand at 4-3 and managed to hold his serve in a tough game to go up 5-3. Fils, fighting to stay in the match, saved three match points during a game marked by four deuces, but Jodar ultimately broke again to close the set at 6-3.
Statistics and Performance
The match statistics reflect the intensity of the encounter: Jodar converted four of his twelve break points, while Fils succeeded on two of four. Jodar recorded 20 winners compared to Fils’ 18, with 34 unforced errors against 28.
This victory represents Jodar’s second win over Fils in a few weeks, having previously defeated him in the third round in Washington. With this win, Jodar improves his record to 29 victories in his last 35 matches, confirming what is considered one of the most remarkable debut seasons. At just 19 years old, he started 2026 ranked 168th, won his first title in Marrakech, reached the final in Washington, and is now in the semifinals of a Masters 1000, all during his first year on the tour. Moreover, he achieved these performances on hard courts, unlike the clay where he had previously excelled.
A victory against Nakashima would elevate him to 11th place in the live ATP rankings and make him the 11th teenager to reach the semifinals in this event during the Open era.
Fils’ Physical Condition
Previously, Jodar defeated Czech Jiri Lehecka, the 8th seed, 6-3, 6-3, as well as Italy’s 11th-ranked Lorenzo Musetti 6-4, 6-3, and Frenchman Corentin Moutet 4-6, 6-1, 6-3 to qualify for the quarterfinals. Fils, ranked 24th, aimed for his third Masters 1000 semifinal of the season, following Miami and Madrid, and hoped to match Guy Forget as the only Frenchman to reach this stage three times in a season since 1990.
He eliminated Englishman Cameron Norrie 6-2, 7-6 (8), Argentine Mariano Navone 6-3, 6-2, and American Zachary Svajda 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 to reach the quarterfinals. However, it is noteworthy that Fils had to call upon a coach due to a back issue during their final in Washington. This same problem had limited him to only one tournament, Wimbledon, between Rome and this series of hard-court tournaments in North America. Reaching the quarterfinals in Montreal while dealing with this physical uncertainty is, in itself, a form of victory.