Six days after their first career meeting in Washington, Rafael Jódar Camacho and Lorenzo Musetti crossed paths again at the ATP Masters 1000 in Montreal — this time with a place in the round of 16 on the line. The outcome was identical to the previous week: the 19-year-old Spaniard cruised to a 6-4, 6-3 victory, once again giving the Italian no answers.
Jódar's serve as the cornerstone
Rafael Jódar Camacho commanded the match from the very first minute. The statistics paint a clear picture of his dominance: 73 per cent of his first serves landed in, and he won a strong 71 per cent of those points. With a service games won rate of 67 per cent, the Spaniard built a solid foundation on which his entire game rested. He struck 19 winners against just 22 unforced errors — an efficient return that underlines his superiority across 1 hour and 35 minutes of play.
Musetti, by contrast, struggled visibly with inconsistency. Four double faults and 34 unforced errors revealed that the Italian — who suffered a rectus femoris tear in Rome that forced his retirement at the French Open and ruled him out of Wimbledon — has yet to rediscover the form of a genuine contender after more than two months on the sidelines. Musetti, the 11th seed in Montreal, failed to progress beyond the third round for the third time at this event, having suffered the same fate in 2023 and 2025.
Sustained pressure in the second set
The second set showcased the level Jódar Camacho has reached. He did drop his serve twice, but he kept Musetti's service games under constant pressure and converted his break points at a rate of 55 per cent. On return, Jódar won 56 per cent of points and took 60 per cent of his opponent's service games — a show of force in the match's most decisive moments.
Musetti fought to hold serve, but a first-serve percentage of 60 per cent and just 40 per cent of service games won were not enough to withstand the Spaniard's relentless pressure. The contest was settled after 1 hour and 35 minutes, with Jódar Camacho prevailing 6-4, 6-3.
The rise of an exceptional talent
Rafael Jódar Camacho began the 2026 season ranked 168th in the world. Since then, his climb through the rankings has been meteoric: he broke into the top 100 in March, the top 50 in April, and a run to the final in Washington lifted him to a career-high of 15th. In Montreal, the Madrid native — who claimed his first ATP title on clay at the Grand Prix Hassan II in Marrakech and reached quarterfinals in Madrid, Rome and at the French Open — was playing at the IGA Stadium for the very first time, and he made the most of his debut by advancing straight to the round of 16.
For Musetti, a tournament he likely viewed as a gauge of his comeback form ends sooner than hoped. The road back to the top will require more time for the Italian. Jódar Camacho, meanwhile, keeps marching forward — and he is doing so with remarkable conviction.
