Rafael Jodar‘s clash against Denis Shapovalov at the Cincinnati Masters delivered on every front. The pendulum swung both ways on multiple occasions, and the players gave it their all on the court. But Jodar eventually claimed a dramatic 7-5, 4-6, 7-5 victory after two hours and 56 minutes. However, the win didn’t come without controversy, as Shapovalov was left incensed after Jodar’s shoelaces broke multiple times in the final set.

After winning the first set through a late break of serve, Jodar wasn’t able to wrap up the match in the second, and Shapovalov levelled it. The Canadian had a 2-1 lead when Jodar called for a medical timeout to get treatment on his leg. He needed another break while trailing 4-1 because his shoelaces broke. But Shapovalov lost his patience when Jodar’s shoelaces broke again while trailing 5-3.

Shapovalov was heard complaining to the chair umpire that Jodar was using his breaks to drink water and regroup. He appeared to be very frustrated about the situation as the set was also slipping away from his hands. For context, Shapovalov had a 5-1 lead in the set at one stage, but Jodar mounted an incredible comeback.

Not only did he save a match point, but he also won the last six games in a row to claim victory. After the match, Jodar explained the situation with his shoelaces and remarked that he would be well-prepared 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.”

This win continues a remarkable breakout season for the 19-year-old, who is now ranked No. 11 in the world. After suffering a third-round exit at Wimbledon, he began his hard-court season on a fantastic note. Jodar first reached the final of the Citi Open after racking up victories over players like Arthur Fils and Lorenzo Musetti. But Taylor Fritz proved to be a step too far for the Spaniard as he lost the final 7-6, 6-4.

Jodar followed this up by reaching the semifinals of the National Bank Open. He once again got the better of Fils and Musetti, but also defeated Jiri Lehecka on his way to the last 4. However, Brandon Nakashima brought his campaign to an end by winning 7-6, 6-4.

Jodar has impressed again, this time in Cincinnati. After defeating Shapovalov, he will now be taking on Alejandro Tabilo in the Round of 32. But he will have to be extra careful about keeping spare laces for his upcoming matches, as this is now the third time that he has sparked attention for having broken laces. He had even come under intense scrutiny for the same on the previous occasion.

Rafael Jodar’s shoelaces broke at the Canadian Open as well

The incident occurred during the semifinal clash between Jodar and Nakashima. The American was in control of the match after winning the first set and clinching a break in the second. In the sixth game of the set, Jodar went to his bench to change his shoelaces when Nakashima was leading 30-0.

This incident didn’t go unnoticed, and Jodar was called out by fans for wasting time. Notably, the 19-year-old had also changed his laces during the final against Fritz at the Citi Open. But he didn’t receive any code violations from the chair umpire on either of the occasions. Jodar came up on the losing side in both matches.

After having already come under the scanner for repeatedly changing his shoelaces, Jodar is likely to face severe criticism if the pattern repeats in upcoming matches at the Cincinnati Masters.

He has already played Tabilo two times this season, and both of them have racked up a victory each. While Tabilo had won 6-1, 6-2 at the Indian Wells Masters, Jodar had levelled the H2H record by claiming a 6-7, 6-4, 6-4 victory in the semifinals of the Citi Open.