Rafael Jodar has come under the scanner in recent weeks for his on-court behavior. The Spaniard has had to take breaks in three matches due to his shoelaces breaking. While this may not look like his fault, many fans have criticized him and accused him of using time-wasting tactics. But Jodar has now found support from Emma Raducanu’s former coach, Mark Petchey, who believes that Jodar shouldn’t face scrutiny over the matter.
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“People want rivalries but then get upset when someone steps into the arena and dares to be different,” he wrote in a post on X. “Hopefully Jodar never changes his way. Tennis is never better when fans are completely invested in a player either winning or losing. Hardest sport in the world needs a character of granite to be great.”
Jodar first changed his shoelaces at the Citi Open final against Taylor Fritz earlier this season. While the incident barely received any attention at the time, the 19-year-old came under the scanner when the same thing happened again at the National Bank Open. This time, Jodar was up against Brandon Nakashima in the semifinals.
The incident occurred at a time when the American was in complete control. He had clinched the first set. As he was leading 30-0 in the sixth game, Jodar had to take a sudden break as his shoelaces broke. He faced criticism as many believed it was a deliberate tactic to waste time.
But the situation went to another level at the Cincinnati Masters. Jodar was involved in a dramatic encounter against Denis Shapovalov in the Round of 64. After winning the first set, the Spaniard wasn’t able to finish off the match in the second as Shapovalov leveled things up. But the third set saw a lot of drama as Jodar took three breaks, leaving his opponent very frustrated.
Jodar first took a medical timeout to get treatment on his leg while he was trailing 1-2. He then took a break because his shoelaces broke while trailing 1-4. The shoelaces broke again when he was trailing 3-5, and this is when Shapovalov lost his patience. He complained to the chair umpire about Jodar’s frequent breaks and also pointed out that he was drinking water and trying to regroup.
Jodar would eventually go on to record a hard-fought 7-5, 4-6, 7-5 victory to move into the Round of 32. After the match, he explained the situation with his shoelaces and remarked that he would be extra careful from now on.
“Honestly, I can’t do anything about it. My laces broke, and I needed time to prepare a new pair,” he said in the post-match press conference. “I’ll try to have spare laces for the next match or other shoes, which will reduce the stoppage time if it happens again.”
The 19-year-old will face Alejandro Tabilo in the next round of the Cincinnati Masters. He has already faced him twice this year, with their H2H currently tied at 1-1. It remains to be seen who will take the lead in the H2H record by reigning supreme in Cincinnati.