Rafael Hodal guides Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz to semi-finals in Marrakech: ‘Fighting is in our DNA’ | ATP Tour

Marrakech

Hodar guides Nadal and Alcaraz to advance to the semi-finals in Marrakech: “Fighting is in our DNA”

The #NextGenATP star, who is ranked career-high world No. 89, will next face former finalist Muller

April 2, 2026

Rafael Hodar marked another milestone in his fledgling career at the Hassan II Grand Prix in Marrakech on Thursday, with fourth seed Tomas Machak becoming the latest player to lose to the rising Spaniard.

Despite Machak’s strong performance in the middle stages of the match, the 19-year-old held his ground, regrouped, and won 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 after a hard-fought battle to reach the ATP Tour quarter-finals for the first time. Jordahl, playing in his first ATP Tour event on clay, is the fourth player born in 2006 or later to reach the quarterfinals at tour level.

The first one🇪🇸

Rafael Jodar defeated Machac 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 and advanced to the ATP Tour QF for the first time! ✅#GrandPrixHassan II pic.twitter.com/tnI1oZXCeI

— ATP Tour (@atptour) April 2, 2026

“I felt great… it was a really tough match, so I had to be right there from the first point, and I was,” Jordahl said after his first Lexus ATP head-to-head meeting with Machak. “Every Spanish player is a fighter. From Nadal to Alcaraz, everyone is a fighter. It’s in our DNA, so I’ve always done that [because] them. “

Machak raised his game with a confident performance in the second set, holding his serve in the second game after taking an early 5-2 lead. The 6-foot-3 powerhouse Jordal then rediscovered his serving rhythm and unleashed a forehand in the decider to take the lead and seal the landmark victory within two hours.

On Monday, Jordahl broke into the top 100 for the first time after reaching the third round in Miami, where he reached a career-high No. 89 in the PIF ATP Rankings in Marrakech. Just a year ago, the Madrid native was ranked just outside the world’s top 900, but he has since risen significantly, not least by claiming three ATP Challenger titles at the end of last season and earning a spot at the 20-and-under Next Generation ATP Finals in Jeddah in December.

Jordal will next face Alexandre Muller on clay, who previously defeated Vit Kopriva 6-3, 7-6(3) in Marrakech to maintain his strong form and reach the quarter-finals of the ATP 250 event for the third time. Although he later revealed that he had been battling illness, the Frenchman put in a positive performance and hit 28 winners to win back-to-back ATP Tour events for the first time in 2026.

“I was a little unwell at night, so it was difficult for me to play today,” said Müller, who reached the Marrakesh final in 2023. “I played very calmly to keep my energy up and in the end I won, so I was surprised but also happy.”