The buzz around the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF couldn’t feel further removed from the red clay courts tucked away in Madrid, but for Martin Landaluce and Rafael Jodar, the connection is unmistakable.
Both Spaniards were born in 2006, both grew up at the club in the Spanish capital — Chanmartin Tennis Club — and both have been orbiting each other since they were nine years old. Their journeys haven’t always been run side by side, but fittingly, they’ve crossed again on one of the biggest stages of their young careers: grouped together at the 20-and-under showpiece in Jeddah.
“It’s fun because we’ve known each other since we were nine years old, and he’s been a good friend of mine,” Landaluce told ATPTour.com, reflecting on his relationship with Jodar. “We played many, many times and we were in many tournaments together.
“There was a time I distanced a bit more to play in better tournaments, but now we are back together here in Jeddah, and it’s nice to have him here.”
Their story is one of shared beginnings but rather separate detours. Landaluce committed early to the professional path, leaving Madrid at 14 to train at the Rafa Nadal Academy. The exposure paid off quickly and at 16, he won the 2022 US Open boys’ singles title, a result that put him firmly on the radar.
Meanwhile, Jodar — who stands one inch shorter than Landaluce at 6’3“ — took a more measured route. Yet two years later, he carved his name onto the same US Open trophy as Landaluce with his 2024 triumph, adding another shared chapter to their story.
“When I won the 2022 US Open, I think he [Jodar] thought, ‘If he does it, why am I not able to do it?’,” Landaluce said. “Then he won it last year, and it’s so good to have this. I think we both are pushing each other, and it’s nice to have a Spaniard here, who is also from Madrid and he’s also from my club.”
After triumphing at Flushing Meadows, Jodar headed straight into college tennis at the University of Virginia, where he is now a sophomore. In 2025, the 19-year-old blended the structure of the NCAA with a late-season surge on the ATP Challenger Tour, where he won three titles and catapulted over 700 spots in the PIF ATP Rankings to World No. 168.
“It feels very good to be back here as a player,” said Jodar, who served as a hitting partner in Jeddah last year. “When I was here hitting with these players last year, I was thinking to myself that maybe one day I was going to make it, and fortunately, things were very good this year. At the end of the season, I had very good results and that gave me the opportunity to play here in Jeddah.”
Last year’s 20-and-under event already felt like a preview of what was to come. Landaluce missed the cut by a single spot and attended as an alternate, while Jodar was present as a hitting partner, soaking it all in and getting a close-up look at the level required.
Twelve months on and the roles have changed considerably: Landaluce returns not on standby, but as the fourth seed, and Jodar is no longer confined to the practice courts, but in the field as one of the fastest-rising players of 2025.
While their paths have differed, their inspirations are very much shared. Nadal remains the benchmark and meeting the 22-time major champion in Jeddah last year was a childhood moment realised. And, like so many young Spaniards, both have drawn motivation from Carlos Alcaraz’s ascent to World No. 1.
“We’ve had many good Spanish players,” Jodar said. “When Rafa Nadal was finishing his career, Alcaraz came to keep winning Grand Slams for Spain. It’s a great feeling to see Spanish players winning major titles, and I’m super happy how things are going for Alcaraz, he’s a great person.”
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Now, the two Madrid natives find themselves back where it all began — together, competing at the same event, pushing each other once more. From shared junior tournaments to different milestones, from alternates and hitting partners to seeded contenders, Landaluce and Jodar have arrived in Jeddah as peers inside the world’s Top 200.
The setting may be new, but the story feels familiar.
The Spaniards find themselves in a tough Blue Group, which also features top seed and last year’s finalist Learner Tien and four-time Challenger champion in 2025 Nicolai Budkov Kjaer.
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