Rafa Jódar, the explosion of new Spanish tennis talent: "My life hasn't changed at all"

John McEnroe never learned to shut up, and at 67 years old there is no reason for him to do so now. The man who turned rage into art on the court continues to be, decades later, the most uncomfortable commentator in the room: the one who says what others keep silent. As part of the team of experts from Eurosport and HBO Max, the platforms offering Roland Garros in Spain, he sits down with EL MUNDO at the Philippe Chatrier facilities to talk about Carlos Alcaraz's injury that has broken the tournament before it even began, Jannik Sinner's almost insulting dominance, the silent war between players and organizers over money, and a young Spaniard named Rafa. Another Rafa. McEnroe opines, provokes, and laughs at himself. He hasn't changed.

Do you like what you've seen from Rafa Jódar?

With the success of Rafa Nadal, then Carlos, and now another Rafa, we should study more closely what is happening in Spain, because you are producing incredible talents. He plays with a lot of confidence and daring. He's not afraid. And it seems like he has his head on straight. With Carlos's situation, you in Spain need some joy like this. I would be surprised if in a year or a year and a half he wasn't in the top 10.

Does he remind you of any other player?

It's hard to say. I think he has something unique, quite unusual. He's picked up things from several players. These young guys play with tremendous natural power. He's playing without fear, letting himself go. He has the natural instinct to move forward and hit the ball early, that's a great virtue.

With Alcaraz's wrist injury, what worries you more: the physical or psychological recovery?

I'm much more worried about the physical. Carlos is as mentally tough as anyone, he's at the level of Rafa, Roger, and Novak. But I think of players like Del Potro, who could never fully recover because of his wrist, and that scares me. I'm not a doctor, but I think the entire tennis world is praying for him to come back healthy. I certainly am.

His injury, in a way, is technology's fault.

Totally. I never had a wrist injury like that because we didn't hit that hard. Today's rackets are much lighter, and they are hitting them very hard, so the impact on the arm and wrist is greater than ever. With wooden rackets, there was more flexibility. The current ones are very rigid. In Carlos's case, it might have been a one-off, a lucky shot, but it's still a pain in the ass. He was at the top of the world, he had just become the youngest player to complete the Grand Slam. I hope he comes back soon.

Sinner's favoritism

Could Sinner not be the champion of this Roland Garros?

If I have to choose between Sinner and any other tennis player, I would choose Sinner, no doubt. I think most fans would do the same. Who can have a chance? Maybe Novak, who beat him at the Australian Open. Apart from him, someone will have to play the match of their life to beat him.

What would you do to beat him?

Pray a lot, that's the first thing. And then I would try to test him with short angles and drop shots, especially on clay, where the passing shot is harder to cover. I wouldn't want to get behind in the point, but maybe I'd have to risk more than I'd like on the return. And hope it was very hot, because it affects him. He has fair skin.

Is tennis predictable now?

Actually, it hasn't been a one-man show until Carlos got injured. It was a show with two protagonists, and Novak was a very good third name. Now there has been a very unfortunate turn, but it can also open the door for others. Sinner is the big favorite, and that takes pressure off everyone else.

There's a lot of debate about prize money distribution.

It's an absolute joke how little the players receive. At this Roland Garros, they will receive 14 or 15% of the revenue: 7% or 8% for men and the same for women. It's unfair. Tennis players should be partners in the major tournaments.

That 1984 final

In the past, there were great personalities on the court. Do you miss more players like that?

I always think the more, the better. Alcaraz has a tremendous personality. Sinner is more reserved. Djokovic shows a lot of emotion. Ben Shelton too. Medvedev has his outbursts. Bublik, you never know what's going to come out. But in general, I'd like to see more character. The more emotion you see in players, the better for the fans.

In 1984, you lost your only Roland Garros final to Ivan Lendl after leading by two sets.

I had great support from the crowd here, and I managed to turn them against me, which was quite an achievement on my part. It's a very passionate crowd: it can be incredible if you know how to handle it, but if not... I learned that in the worst possible way.