Rafael Jodar, a 19-year-old from Madrid, announced himself as a genuine challenger on clay with a composed, powerful win that sent him into the Barcelona semifinals. The son and grandson who share his name has moved rapidly through the pro ranks this spring.

Jodar beat former Top 10 player Cam Norrie 6-3, 6-2 in 69 minutes, a result that echoed an identical scoreline the two produced in Acapulco earlier this year. It was his eighth consecutive victory and added to a resume that already includes the 2024 US Open boys’ title and an ATP trophy in Marrakesh two weeks ago. He is ranked 51st and is poised to move higher on Monday.

Standing 6’3″, Jodar mixes a flat bomb of a serve with a high kick second option and a forehand that blends pace and topspin. One commentator compared that forehand’s look to Arthur Fils. Yet it is Jodar’s two-handed backhand that drew the clearest notice. When he leans into it the stroke arrives with depth and bullet-like speed that repeatedly troubled Norrie.

A pivotal sequence came at 2-2 in the second set. Jodar reached break point twice and was repelled both times, and on the third occasion Norrie pulled off an excellent drop shot that seemed to shut the door. Jodar reversed direction mid-stride, put his racquet on the ball and redirected it into the open court for a winner and the break. “I think I handled the important moments and the pressure moments in the match very well,” Jodar said. “I think I played those points specifically very well.”

At 4-2 he again seized an opening with a powered backhand winner to close the match. If nerves were expected late, they never appeared.

With this run Jodar joins a rising class of young ATP hopefuls. On Saturday he will face Arthur Fils in what will be his stiffest test yet. “I’m super happy with my performance today,” Jodar said, “but I know I have to keep pushing.”

The top two seeds and last year’s finalists, Alexander Zverev and Ben Shelton, both moved into the semifinals at the BMW Open by Bitpanda.

Shelton, the No. 2 seed, survived a stern test from João Fonseca, prevailing 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in one hour and 49 minutes on Center Court. The 23-year-old struck seven aces and won 84 per cent of his first-service points across the three sets. “It was a much warmer day today with shorter rallies,” Shelton said after his first meeting with the 19-year-old. “He is an electric player, one of the rising stars on the tour. It’s a big match for him and there is a lot of excitement around him. He has many fans around the world, and I was looking forward to it, as it’s the type of atmosphere I like to play in. I’d love playing against him in Brazil one day. That’d be really cool.” Shelton advanced to his 14th ATP Tour semi and will meet Slovakian qualifier Alex Molcan on Saturday.

Molcan, ranked No. 166, beat Denis Shapovaolov 6-4, 6-4 in 78 minutes, winning 57 per cent of the total points. He became the lowest-ranked Munich semi-finalist since world No. 186 Gerald Melzer in 2015. “At the beginning of the week, I wasn’t even sure if I was getting into the tournament. I took a risk, I came here and made into the main draw,” Molcan said. “I am playing well. It feels unreal. The last two years were tough. I was struggling a lot. I had to undergo two surgeries, and it was a pretty dark tennis time for me, but I still believed that I could get back to some good level. Last year at this time I was playing Futures, now I am into the semis of an ATP 500. I don’t even know what to say. I am just proud of myself and my team.”

Top seed Alexander Zverev rallied past Francisco Cerundolo 5-7, 6-0, 6-2 to reach his fifth tour-level semi of the season. The match lasted two hours and 15 minutes. “I was 4-1 up in the first set but then he started playing and returning unbelievably,” Zverev said. “My first-serve percentage was very high, and I returned close to the baseline, so there was nothing I could do. I was happy with my level, even in the first set, and I am definitely happy to earn my first win over Francisco on clay.” In the other quarterfinal, fourth seed Flavio Cobolli defeated Vit Kopriva 6-3, 6-2 in one hour and 26 minutes, breaking serve four times. “It wasn’t easy at all today. We fought for every point. It is always a pleasure to play against him, as he is also a nice guy,” Cobolli said. Zverev will face Cobolli in the other semi.

The French Tennis Federation has laid out several tributes and new initiatives for the 2026 Roland Garros in a what’s-new guide published Thursday. Among the highlights are three special farewells and a pilot allowing players to wear connected devices during matches.

Gaël Monfils will be given control of Court Philippe Chatrier on May 21 for an evening billed as “Gael & Friends.” “Interactive segments and multiple surprises will punctuate this charity evening, with proceeds benefiting Terre d’Impact, the FFT’s fundraising foundation,” the announcement shared. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Richard Gasquet, along with “current stars of the game”, are scheduled to join Monfils during the festivities ahead of his 20th appearance at his home major.

Tournament director Amélie Mauresmo said: “Gaël has a history with Roland-Garros that is full of love and emotion, but he’s also a showman. We’ll be giving him free rein on May 21 at 7:30 p.m. Tournament director Amélie Mauresmo”

Caroline Garcia, who retired in 2025, will return to Chatrier for a ceremony on June 4 between the women’s semifinals. The former world No. 4 is expecting her first child later this year with husband Borja Duran.

Stan Wawrinka, the 2015 Roland Garros champion, is described by organisers as a strong candidate to receive a wild card after narrowly missing the main-draw cutoff. Tournament officials say Wawrinka will be honoured at Porte d’Auteuil following his last match.

The schedule also includes a May 26 tribute marking the 70th anniversary of Althea Gibson’s major singles triumph, to be held inside the venue’s largest show court.

Separately, the FFT confirmed a pilot programme that will permit competitors to wear connected devices during play. Organisers said the trial is expected to be followed by Wimbledon and the US Open, as the insights these devices provide become a growing topic of discussion.