Rafael Jódar Named ITA National Rookie of the Year
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia men’s tennis freshman Rafael Jódar has been named the ITA National Rookie of the Year as announced by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association on Friday (June 13).
Jódar becomes just the third player in program history to earn the honor, joining Alex Domijan (2011) and Mitchell Frank (2012).
Jódar helped lead the Cavaliers to their fifth consecutive NCAA Quarterfinal appearance. The Cavaliers finished as the runner-up in the ACC Championship and also picked up two wins this past season over the then-No. 1 ranked team in the ITA Team Rankings (Texas, Wake Forest).
After joining the team in January, Jódar put together one of the best freshman seasons in program history. He became the eighth player in program history to be named ACC Freshman of the Year. He posted a 19-3 singles record, finishing the year as the highest ranked player in the ACC at No. 4 in the ITA Singles Rankings. Jódar’s No. 4 ranking to finish the year is the highest end of season ranking for a Cavalier since Ryan Shane in 2015 and earned him ITA All-American honors.
In singles, he went 15-2 on the top court and went an undefeated 8-0 in conference play in the regular season. He recorded four wins over opponents ranked inside the top 10 of the ITA Singles Rankings. In total, he logged 15 singles wins over ranked opponents. After dropping his first match of the season, he won his next 17 completed singles matches. Additionally, Jódar was named All-ACC first team in singles. He was also named ITA Atlantic Region Rookie of the Year.
In doubles, Jódar finished the season with a 14-4 record and ended the year on a nine-match win streak in completed matches. He posted a 10-2 record on doubles court three and went a perfect 6-0 on the year with Roy Horovitz.
FROM HEAD COACH ANDRES PEDROSO
“On behalf of our entire team, I want to congratulate Rafa Jódar for a spectacular first season and semester at the University of Virginia. Not only did he position himself as one of the very best players in college tennis, but he earned excellent grades, enhanced our team culture, and built many close relationships with members of our UVA and Charlottesville community. The best part about having Rafa on our team has been the fact that every team win has always meant so much more to him than his individual wins. This is truly unique in individual sports, but especially with players of his caliber.”