Madrid: Upon securing a victory in his debut match at the Madrid Open, ascending Spanish tennis star Rafael Jodar celebrated by extending his arms in an imitation of the signature goal celebration used by Real Madrid and England soccer standout Jude Bellingham.

The 19-year-old Jodar, a local native and dedicated supporter of Real Madrid, subsequently authored the phrase "Hey Jude" on a television camera lens. Bellingham, who observed the match from the spectator stands on Wednesday, responded with a smile and applause. Following the contest, the two athletes met briefly to pose for a photograph while simultaneously performing the iconic gesture.

"I talked to him after the match, asked him if he had liked it," Jodar remarked. "I didn't know that he was going to be here; it meant a lot to me. He's a great person. I'm very grateful that he came. He's an example for me, he's my favourite soccer player."

Their acquaintance dates back to 2024, when Jodar was honoured at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium by Real Madrid following his victory in the U.S. Open Boys' championship.

A Historic Milestone

Jodar required two and a half hours to orchestrate a comeback victory against Jesper de Jong, finishing 2-6, 7-5, 6-4 on the centre court of the Caja Magica. The win places Jodar in elite company; he is now only the third Spaniard, following Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz, to record a main-draw victory in Madrid prior to the age of 20.

"I was really looking forward to competing here, but I knew I had to play a solid match from start to finish," Jodar said. "I'm happy because this victory allows me to play another match here."

Rapid Ascent

Jodar's trajectory on the professional circuit has been notable. Positioned outside the top 600 in the world rankings just 12 months ago, he secured his first ATP Tour title in Marrakech earlier this month. After breaking into the top 100 in March, he currently occupies the No. 42 position in the global rankings.

The young Spaniard is scheduled to compete against the tournament’s fifth seed, Alex de Minaur of Australia, in the subsequent round.

With inputs from AP