INTERNAZIONALI BNL D'ITALIA

May 12, 2026

Rafael Jodar

Mixed Zone

R. JODAR/L. Tien

6-1, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Are you pleased with the way you've been playing in this tournament?

RAFAEL JODAR: Yeah, great matches. All the players are very good here so you have to play a high level if you want to get those wins. I just try to give my best level.

Today's match was a very tough one. Learner is a tough opponent. He always plays well in these conditions. I played very well important points and I'm happy to get the win.

Q. Obviously winning so many matches at the moment, breaking new ground, while experiencing new things. Have you learned anything new about yourself in the last couple of months?

RAFAEL JODAR: Yeah, for me this year everything is new, all the tournaments. The players, I'm getting used to see them a lot in the tournaments.

I think I'm going to take this year as learning year because I think I can learn a lot of things if I'm smart and if I analyze the matches and I'm aware of what is going on around the tournament.

Q. How much did you surprise yourself during the last two weeks, between Madrid and Roma, to be in the quarterfinal?

RAFAEL JODAR: Yeah, very, very excited to be in a quarterfinals again. Yeah, as I said before, try to approach every match with the best mentality possible because I'm aware that everyone here plays very well. You have to play very well. You have to be consistent. You have to have a tough mentality to get the wins in all the tournaments.

So very excited how the process is going for me.

Q. If someone told you five weeks ago you would be in the quarterfinals of the next two Masters 1000, would you say you're crazy or...

RAFAEL JODAR: Coming from me, a lot of matches, good matches, a lot of learning. So, yeah, just try to learn from these matches. I think I'm doing a pretty good two tournaments, the last one and this one. I think I'm playing a good level.

But yeah, as I said before, if you don't approach the next match or the following match with the right mentality, it's not going to work that you win so many matches in the last tournament.

Q. You're thinking about a potential final with Jannik?

RAFAEL JODAR: No, I'm not thinking about that honestly. I'm just thinking about the next match, that it will be against a tough opponent in the quarterfinals. Just go match by match.

Q. When you were in college, did an opponent ever hook you? You call your own lines. Did someone ever cheat against you?

RAFAEL JODAR: I don't know if they cheated or they tried to cheat. I just tried to give my best level. I took that year to get a lot of matches and to improve my level.

But I wasn't thinking about that topic.