Rafael Jodar was heavily criticised for his actions towards a ball boy during the 2026 Shanghai Masters.
During his fourth-round win over Botic van de Zandschulp, Jodar was issued a code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct after the umpire heard him swearing at a ball boy, whom he believed was taking too long to give him his towel.
Fans online were critical of Jodar and understandably so. This wasn’t the first time the Spaniard has acted out this year, and the 20-year-old is quickly developing an unwanted reputation.
After Jodar defeated Casper Ruud in the quarter-finals, he was asked for his thoughts on the incident. There, he took the opportunity to apologise to the ball kid for his actions.
Rafael Jodar admits he shouldn’t have treated Shanghai ball kid the way he did
“Yeah, I mean, I would like to explain that. Yeah, it was my mistake. After the match, I thought about it, and I shouldn’t have done that to the ball kid. It was my mistake. I respect a lot the ball kids and the umpires in the match, in all the matches and all the tournaments. I shouldn’t have treated the ball kid the way I did,” said Jodar during his post-match press conference.
“I was very frustrated because how the match was going for me. It was a very close point. And, yeah, I didn’t mean to hurt the feelings of the ball kid or anything, I was just frustrated with me. Yeah, I couldn’t control my emotions at that point of the match.
“So, yeah, it was my mistake, and I’ll try not to do it again, because that’s not the right way to treat the ball kids. I respect a lot their job, and, yeah, it wasn’t anything against him or against any ball kids or umpire. After what I did, I should have, you know, accepted the warning that I got because it was totally right, and the umpire made the right decision.”
Jodar was later asked whether he had an opportunity to apologise to the ball boy. The Spaniard said he hadn’t yet apologised in person, but insisted he would be happy to.
“Yeah, I would like to. I would like to, yeah, to apologise to the ball kid. If I have any chance to see him here at the venue, I’ll try to tell him that I’m very sorry about my act and the way that I acted in that moment, and I’ll never do it again,” he said.
“As I am, you know, learning how to do the forehand or how to do the backhand or how to do the serve, I’m also learning how to behave on the court. There are still a lot of things that I have to behave, so I’m not perfect. I’m human; I make mistakes, so I’ll learn from this mistake to not do it again in the next one.”
Jodar has vowed to ‘never do it again’, but only time will tell if he can keep that promise. The Spaniard argued that he is still young and learning how to behave on the court, although that’s a fairly weak excuse.
He’s 20, not 16, and should know how to treat others, especially young ball kids, with respect. If this happens again, it will be difficult for Jodar to get fans back on side.
Rafael Jodar reaches Shanghai Masters semis on his debut
Jodar’s on-court behaviour leaves a lot to be desired, but his results speak for themselves. Making his debut in Shanghai this year, the Spaniard is through to the semi-finals, where he will meet Daniil Medvedev or Tommy Paul.
He has already played one Masters 1000 semi-final this season in Canada. There, he lost to Brandon Nakashima, 6-7, 4-6, in a big upset. Jodar will be keen to reach his first final when he plays Medvedev or Paul at the Shanghai Masters.
Rafael Jodar’s Masters 1000 performances in 2026
- Indian Wells – First round
- Miami Open – Third round
- Monte Carlo Masters – Did not play
- Madrid Open – Quarter-final
- Italian Open – Quarter-final
- Canadian Open – Semi-final
- Cincinnati Open – Fourth round
- Shanghai Masters – Semi-final
Jodar will play his semi-final match on Saturday, October 17. If he wins, he will return to play Alexander Zverev or Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the final on Sunday, October 17.