Spanish tennis prodigy Rafael Khodar, just 19 years old, celebrated a significant milestone in his professional career by winning his first title on Sunday. Khodar triumphed over seasoned Argentine player Marco Trungelitti with a score of 6-3, 6-2 in the final of the Marrakech ATP tournament. This victory marks a pivotal moment for Khodar, who was outside the top 900 players in the world rankings just a year ago but is set to rise to the 57th position following this impressive win. It is noteworthy that Khodar only turned professional in December of last year after spending two seasons in collegiate tennis in the United States.
Expressing his joy, Khodar remarked, "This is unbelievable... Honestly, I can't find the words to describe how I feel right now." He further added, "I am extremely happy to have won the title here in Marrakech. This is my first time in Marrakech and in Morocco. I loved the fans and everyone who came to support me and to watch the final." With this achievement, Khodar joins an elite group of Spanish players who have secured an ATP title before turning 20, alongside greats like Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, Carlos Moya, Juan Carlos Ferrero, and Tommy Robredo.
On the other hand, Trungelitti, at 36 years of age, became the oldest player to reach the final of an ATP tournament for the first time during the professional era. He is also set to become the oldest player to enter the ATP Top 100 for the first time since Danish player Torben Ulrich accomplished this feat at the age of 45 in 1973. Trungelitti is expected to achieve a career-high ranking of 73 in the world on Monday.
As reported by hespress.com.
