Rafa Jodar: New Controversy Surrounding Jannik Sinner’s Future Rival
Rafael Jodar continues to win—and to stir up controversy at the same time. The Spanish tennis player, who is already close to the Top 10 in his debut year on the ATP Tour, has come under fire for what happened during his match against Denis Shapovalov at the Cincinnati Open, which he won after a sensational comeback from 1-5 down in the third set.
His Canadian opponent openly complained to Jodar both during and after the match because the Spaniard interrupted play to tie his shoelaces, which had come undone. Shapovalov accused him of doing it on purpose to disrupt his opponent’s rhythm, break his concentration, and set the stage for the final comeback.
At the press conference, Jodar tried to defend himself: “It’s a situation I can’t control. My shoelaces broke, and I needed time to get new ones ready. I’ll try to have spare laces ready for the next match or a different pair of shoes to minimize downtime in case it happens again,” explained the Spanish player, who is one of the most targeted by Jannik Sinner’s fans on social media: many see him as the Italian’s future rival.
Jodar is currently ranked 11th in the ATP rankings: a victory would propel him into the Top 10. The Spaniard is currently considered the most promising among the rising stars making their way on the tour, and in just a few months he has surpassed Learner Tien, Jakub Mensik, and Joao Fonseca, the other young prospects in the sport.
His rise has been nothing short of meteoric. Just a year ago, Jodar was ranked No. 478 in the world, while today he is knocking on the door of the Top 10. In just a few months, he won his first tournament in Marrakech, reached the semifinals in Barcelona, the quarterfinals in Madrid against Sinner and in Rome against Darderi, the round of 16 at Roland Garros, and the final in Washington, where he lost to Taylor Fritz. It was the Californian himself who, during the award ceremony, issued a veiled but significant warning: “I’m glad I won now, while he’s still young”—a remark that speaks volumes about how much Jodar is already considered a real threat by the big names on the tour.
