Taylor Fritz vs Rafael Jodar Delray Prediction 2/19/2026 Today’s Tennis Picks

Two-time former champion Taylor Fritz will face Next Gen star Rafael Jodar in the second round of the Delray Beach Open on Thursday, February 19. Here’s our Taylor Fritz vs Rafael Jodar prediction. This preview will also include a Taylor Fritz vs Rafael Jodar pick.

Taylor Fritz vs Rafael Jodar Preview

Taylor Fritz is making his ninth appearance at the Delray Open and it is one of two tournaments he has won multiple times in his career. He won it back-to-back in 2023 and 2024, but his three-peat quest ended in the quarterfinal stage last year to eventual finalist Davidovich Fokina in two tiebreak sets.

Fritz enters this year’s tournament still as the top seed, but the race for the American men’s No. 1 is heating up with Ben Shelton breathing down his neck. Shelton sits less than 300 points behind Fritz in the live rankings. Fritz is coming off a three-set defeat to Shelton in the Dallas Open final this past week. His record for the season stands at 8-5. Delray will be his fourth tournament of the season. As the top seed, he received a BYE in the first round.

Rafael Jodar kicked off the tournament with a straight-sets win over Ethan Quinn. The match took 17 games to decide and lasted an hour and 19 minutes. Jodar won the first set 6-2, breaking Quinn at least three times. He led 5-2 in the second set, but despite a late stumble while serving for the match, Jodar broke Quinn in the ninth game to clinch a 6-2, 6-3 win.

In the victory, Jodar tallied 17 winners and 16 unforced errors. He landed 59% of first serves in play and won 60% of first serve points (18/30). Jodar won 62% of second serve points (13/21) and saved one of three break points. Jodar is now 13-3 for the season.

Taylor Fritz vs Rafael Jodar Head-To-Head

Fritz and Jodar have never played before, so this will be their first career meeting.

Taylor Fritz vs Rafael Jodar Prediction

This could very well be a banana skin for the two-time former champion. As some fans call for Fritz to take a well-deserved rest to avoid risking a more serious knee injury, Fritz explained that his injury will only get worse without match play. In that regard, that’s not going to be a hindrance as he’s meticulously done so much behind the scenes to remain competitive. But I like Jodar’s chances of pushing the American here. The Next Gen star hits a heavier ball and serves nearly as effortlessly as Fritz. This could be a three-setter and I wouldn’t rule out an upset.

Nur Said's Pick: Jodar set handicap +1.5