Toni Nadal on US Open Favorite and Jodar’s Fall

By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, September 4, 2026
Photo credit: Antoine Couvercelle/ROLEX

NEW YORK—A right wrist injury kept Carlos Alcaraz sidelined for four-and-a-half months.

Toni Nadal, uncle and original coach of Rafa Nadal, said despite his injury-induced layoff and lack of match play ahead of Flushing Meadows, reigning champion Alcaraz remains the favorite for his third US Open championship.

“Alcaraz is the top contender for the title,” Toni Nadal told Onda Cero’s Radioestadio Noche in an interview this week.

Toni Nadal

"Cuando eres un joven que irrumpes con la fuerza que lo ha hecho Jódar y creas tantas expectativas, con 19 años tienes que aceptar las cosas y si te preguntan algo incómodo es normal, no te tienes que molestar" pic.twitter.com/agzG5hgZyp

— Radioestadio Noche (@RadioestadioN) September 3, 2026

Lucky loser Yunchaokete Bu crushed 19-year-old Spaniard Rafael Jodar 6-2, 6-1, 6-1 on Court 17 to roll into the US Open second round.

Afterward, the 12th-seeded Spaniard, who reached the Washington, DC final and Montreal semifinals last month, made no excuses for his lopsided loss in his last Grand Slam event as a teenager.

“He played better than me, and that’s the reason why he won today,” said the 19-year-old Jodar, who celebrates his 20th birthday on September 17th. “[I am] physically good. Yeah, that’s it. That’s
how the match went. He played better than me, so he deserved to win today.”

It was just the fourth Grand Slam main draw event for the Roland Garros quarterfinalist, who won the 2024 US Open boys’ championship.

Ton Nadal suggested nerves and lack of a Plan B cost Jodar in New York.

“I was surprised by Jódar’s defeat, he was not successful, but I was also surprised by the opponent, he played at a very good level,” Toni Nadal said. “He has had a very good season but from here the pressure begins. Jódar lacked a plan B.”

Jodar, who posted a 10-3 record during the North American summer hard-court season but struggled to summon the energy and intensity in his opening-round exit.

Afterward Jodar was asked about the broke shoelace issues he encountered in both Washington, DC and Cincinnati. Toni Nadal said the young Spaniard should just accept those questions as part of the job and move on.

“When you’re a young person who bursts onto the scene with the force that Jódar has, creating so many expectations, at 19 years old you have to accept things,” Toni Nadal said. “And if they ask you something uncomfortable, it’s normal; you shouldn’t get upset.”