Jodar and Bailly chase Jeddah dreams with recent surges
In the tightening PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah, Rafael Jodar and Gilles Arnaud Bailly are converting breakthrough performances into serious qualification threats, their poise under pressure shining through as the cutoff looms.
In the relentless push of the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah, two rising stars are carving paths through the competition with recent triumphs that blend tactical sharpness and mental fortitude. Rafael Jodar, the 19-year-old Spaniard, has leaped nine positions to ninth after securing his second ATP Challenger Tour title of the season in Lincoln, United States, where his serve stayed flawless without a single double fault marring the run. Gilles Arnaud Bailly, the 20-year-old Belgian, has climbed four spots to 11th, fueled by a qualifying breakthrough and first tour-level victory at the ATP 250 event in Brussels on home soil.
Jodar‘s precision serve drives ascent
The hard courts in Lincoln tested Jodar’s resolve under the crisp autumn light, his delivery slicing through the air with unerring accuracy to set up one–two combinations that overwhelmed returns. As a sparring partner at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF in 2024, he absorbed the intensity of elite play, now channeling it into a season marked by the US Open Boys’ Singles title from last year and a Challenger win on Greek clay in August. Sitting on 267 points, he trails eighth-placed Nishesh Basaverreddy by 82, a gap that demands sustained focus amid the tour’s grinding schedule and the psychological weight of near-misses.
His approach in Lincoln emphasized inside-out forehands to pull opponents wide, followed by crosscourt backhands that exploited openings, all while the crowd’s murmurs built with each advancing round. This consistency reflects a mind attuned to the race’s demands, where every point feels amplified by the looming November 10 cutoff for the 20-and-under event in Jeddah from December 17-21.
“I have always enjoyed the chance to play at an ATP event but to do this in my country, to qualify and then win a round was really special. I really hope to keep going now. It has been a good year for me,” Bailly said.
Bailly’s breakthrough ignites home fire
On the red clay of Brussels, Bailly’s qualifying grind drew roars from the partisan crowd, his steady topspin groundstrokes holding firm in baseline duels that stretched into the evening chill. Defeating Daniel Altmaier for his first ATP win, he deployed deep serves into the body, transitioning to inside-in forehands that caught the German off-balance and turned defense into attack. Starting the year outside the Top 800 in the PIF ATP Rankings, he now ranks No. 232, a climb built on hard work in Futures events before scaling to Challengers with support from Next Gen opportunities.
“I worked hard at the start of the year and started doing well at the Futures,” Bailly told ATPTour.com. “I then started to play more Challengers and saw my level going up and I was playing better and then had some good opportunities with the Next Gen spots, so I am grateful for that support.” This home triumph has eased the isolation of lower-tier travels, infusing his game with renewed energy as he eyes deeper runs to close the gap to the top eight.
View PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah
November deadline sharpens mental edges
As the race intensifies toward the November 10 cutoff, Jodar and Bailly navigate the psychological currents of a season’s end, where fatigue battles ambition on surfaces shifting from clay to hard. Read more about the Next Gen Accelerator here, the program that has opened doors for talents like Bailly through wild cards and exposure. Joao Fonseca‘s 2024 title in Jeddah, alongside past champions Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, highlights the event’s prestige, a stage where tactical adaptability and crowd-fueled resolve can forge legacies.
For these contenders, the path forward hinges on converting recent momentum into points, with Jodar’s faultless serving and Bailly’s qualifier grit promising matchups that test limits. In Jeddah’s controlled arena, their stories of growth amid pressure could culminate in qualification, turning the season’s trials into triumphant steps on a grander court.
