Even though he has taken the Tour by storm, Rafael Jodar has also been involved in on-court skirmishes, causing fans to criticize the young Spaniard. During his semifinal match against Brandon Nakashima at the Canadian Open, Jodar was once again the target of fan backlash for something very innocuous.
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The incident occurred during the second set, with Nakashima in control of the match, having won the first set and also secured a break in the second set. In the sixth game of the set, with Nakashima 30-0 up on his serve, Jodar went to the bench to change his shoes as his previous shoelaces had broken. However, fans did not take this lightly, calling out the Spaniard for unsavory tactics to disrupt the serving rhythm of his opponent.
What also goes against Jodar in this instance is the Spaniard’s habit of changing his shoes mid-match in big matches. The Spaniard did the same during his final against Taylor Fritz at the Citi DC Open last week. Although he did not receive any code violations from the chair umpire, the fans were up in arms about it. However, on both occasions, the incident did not stop the opponents from beating Jodar.
Jodar has also been involved in other controversies, as the Spaniard was accused of pushing a ball girl during the French Open. However, camera footage and on-site narratives cleared the Spaniard, as it was clear that he did not make any contact with the ball girl, who took a fall on her own. A similar sort of controversy also happened around the Spaniard at Wimbledon.
Despite these criticisms, Jodar has been in sensational form in 2026, winning a title in Marrakech, reaching the semifinal in Barcelona, and making quarterfinal runs at Masters 1000 events in Madrid and Rome. The Spaniard also had his Slam breakthrough, reaching the quarterfinals at Roland Garros.
Jodar has made a terrific start on the North American hard courts as well, as he reached the final in Washington, followed by a semifinal run in Montreal. He will now be in action at the Cincinnati Open, where he will either face Adrian Mannarino or Denis Shapovalov in the second round.
However, fans were not impressed by his shoe-changing habits and criticized the Spaniard on social media.
Rafael Jodar Faces Fan Backlash for Changing Shoes in the Middle of the Match
Fans were quick to criticize Jodar’s actions, with one fan offering a practical solution of having an extra pair of shoelaces. “Why doesn’t he carry a spare pair of shoe laces?” said a fan.
Another fan pointed out, “And curiously, this only happens when he’s trailing on the scoreboard…”, while another said, “Third time I watch same scene.”
Fans also opined that such repeated mid-match interruptions should fall under the chair umpire’s purview, with code violations and point penalties imposed on the players. “The umpire should stop this nonsense”, said the fan.
While another fan was sarcastic about Jodar’s shoe brand, Adidas, claiming, “Adidas must be happy to see this every match”. Given how often Jodar has faced issues with his shoes, the brand comes under scrutiny as the manufacturer.