Montreal, August 9, 2026 – A statement performance from the young Spaniard: Rafael Jódar Camacho swept past Jiří Lehečka in the round of 16 at the ATP Masters 1000 National Bank Open in Montreal, winning a commanding 6:3, 6:3. The hard-court encounter at IGA Stadium was over in one hour and 15 minutes — a scoreline that accurately reflected the balance of power on the night.
Flawless serve paves the way
Jódar Camacho laid the foundation for his victory with a near-perfect serving display in the opening set. The Madrid native won all 13 first-serve points of the set without facing a single break point — a remarkable display of serving dominance at this level. When his only break point opportunity of the set arrived in the eighth game, he converted it without hesitation to claim the first set 6:3.
Lehečka, seeded eighth in Montreal and a finalist at the 2026 Miami Open Masters 1000, simply had no answer for his opponent's aggressive style of play. His returning game was largely ineffective throughout: the Czech won just 29 percent of return points, which made it extremely difficult to generate break point opportunities of his own.
Early breaks settle the second set
In the second set, Jódar Camacho wasted no time in making his intentions clear, breaking Lehečka's serve in the very first game. Two further breaks later in the set sealed a 6:3 victory. While the Spaniard impressed with a break conversion rate of 57 percent, Lehečka struggled to apply any sustained pressure on his opponent's serve — Jódar Camacho saved break points at a rate of 67 percent.
Particularly damaging was Lehečka's error count: the Czech finished with 34 unforced errors, a painful contrast to his opponent's composure (10 unforced errors). Jódar Camacho won 59 percent of all points, leaving no doubt as to the legitimacy of his victory.
A historic milestone for an exceptional talent
With this win, Rafael Jódar Camacho is charting new territory: for the first time in his young professional career, the 19-year-old has reached the quarterfinal of a Masters 1000 tournament. His progression through the 2026 season has followed a remarkable upward curve — an ATP title in Marrakech, a quarterfinal at Roland Garros, a final in Washington against Taylor Fritz, and now this result on the hard courts of Montreal.
Lehečka, meanwhile, exits a tournament in which he had produced strong performances despite some inconsistent form of late. For Jódar Camacho, who is coached by his father, the tournament continues with growing confidence — his quarterfinal opponent now awaits.
