Why 'absolute force' Rafael Jodar is 'really scary' prospect for men's tennis amid French Open run and following in Rafael Nadal's footsteps

Jodar - whose emergence through the Sunshine Swing earned him the nickname 'the new Rafa', in a nod to 22-time Grand Slam champion and compatriot Rafael Nadal - breezed through to the second round of the French Open with a dominant straight-sets win over Aleksandar Kovacevic on Monday.

After winning the Marrakech title in April, Jodar established himself as a force to be reckoned with by enjoying deep runs at the Madrid Open and Italian Open - making the quarter-finals of both, shortly after reaching the semi-finals in Barcelona.

The 19-year-old narrowly fell on the wrong side of a tie-break which could have forced a decider against world No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the Spanish capital and appears to have brought that momentum to Paris, having been ruthless in his first-round display.

Former world No. 8 Isner, speaking in the TNT Sports US studio, was enamoured by the display of the Spaniard and thinks he is still far from reaching his peak.

"He’s on an absolute heater right now," Isner said. "It showed in how he played in the first round, Kovacevic had no chance out there. He’s got such a good all-around game. His backhand is especially solid, and he appears to be growing into his body. He’s so young.

"He's getting physically stronger. His prime is six years away, which is really scary in my mind. He’s so young, 19 years old, one year of tennis at the University of Virginia, turned pro, and he’s come from nowhere to be this absolute force on the ATP Tour right now."

Jodar has suddenly become one of the most talked-about youngsters in the sport.

TNT Sports expert Mats Wilander went as far as to say he is the "new name" to be excited about, over the likes of Joao Fonseca, the Brazilian teen sensation who lit up last year's majors.

But Jodar is not interested in fast-tracking his route among the men's tennis elite.

"I'm not in a rush at all," Jodar said in his post-match press conference. "I think I still have to learn a lot of things in the tour.

"It's just my first year and I'm experiencing a lot of things, you know, in this past few months. But I think these experiences are really helping me to develop as a player.

"I think as a person I'm learning a lot, when I'm playing the tournaments and when I'm preparing for the matches. So it's good to have that feeling, you know, to be able to compete in the French Open and in all these tournaments. I'm very grateful, you know, to be part of this tournament."

He added: "To play for my first time in Paris at the French Open and seeing so many people, you know, not just from France, but also from other parts, especially from Spain.

"It was special to see also the many people cheering for me in every point is great. I feel that support, and yeah, I'm very grateful for all the people that - not just today, but also that are supporting me during this process."

Jodar will face 34-year-old Australian James Duckworth in the second round.

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