Spanish starboy responds to 'darkest tennis behaviour' in years claim after disgraceful Shanghai Masters incident

Rafael Jodar, who came under fire earlier this week for his disgraceful behaviour towards a Shanghai Masters ball kid, has responded to the controversy.

The Spaniard, who has been tipped during the 2026 ATP season to soon rival the likes of Alcaraz and Sinner for Grand Slam titles, was given a warning in Shanghai for his behaviour.

After losing a point versus Botic van de Zandschulp, the 20-year-old cursed at a ball kid: “Dame la puta toalla, cono!” (Give me the f****** towel, damn it!”) to a ball kid; Jodar has now admitted he ‘made a mistake.’

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Rafael Jodar admits ‘mistake’ after cursing at ball kid in Shanghai Masters match

Jodar was not quizzed on his behaviour by reporters in a post-match conference on Wednesday; however, the Spanish starboy offered his response to the controversy on Friday.

After beating multi-Slam finalist Casper Ruud in the event’s quarter-finals, Jodar affirmed his “respect” for the ball kids, days after cursing at a child in Shanghai.

“I would like to explain [my behaviour],” began the 20-year-old, as relayed by Tennis365. “Yeah, it was my mistake. After the match, I thought about it, and I shouldn’t have done that to the ball kid.”

This isn’t the first time that Jodar has been accused of disrespecting the ball kids. In a previous incident, which is, in contrast, unproven, the Spaniard appeared to shove past a ball girl at Roland Garros.

The 20-year-old denied this allegation, which was caught on video; the alternate explanation was that the Roland Garros ball girl tripped at the time Jodar moved past her.

On his behaviour at the Shanghai Masters, the Spaniard continued: “I respect the ball kids a lot, and the umpires in the match. In all the matches and tournaments.

“I shouldn’t have treated the ball kid the way I did. I was very frustrated because of how the match was going for me. It was a very close point. I didn’t mean to hurt the feelings of the ball kid, or anything.

“I was just frustrated with myself,” claimed Jodar. “Yeah, I couldn’t control my emotions at that point in the match… I’ll try not to do it again, because that’s not the right way to treat the ball kids.

“It was my mistake… I respect their job a lot. It wasn’t anything against him, or any ball kids, or the umpire. I should have accepted the warning… the umpire made the right decision,” he concluded.

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What’s next for Rafael Jodar, and will he apologise to the ball kid?

When pressed as to whether he had apologised to the ball kid, the Spanish starboy, who is tipped to enjoy an even stronger 2027 ATP season, said he hadn’t, but that he would like to.

“I would like to apologise to the ball kid,” continued Jodar. “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 [actions]... and I’ll never do it again.

“As I [learned] how to do the forehand, or the backhand, or the serve, I’m also learning how to behave on the court,” admitted the Spaniard. “There’s still a lot of things that I have to [work on]... I’m not perfect.

“I’m a human, I make mistakes, so I’ll learn from this mistake to not do it again in the future,” concluded Jodar.

The 20-year-old will face the winner of Daniil Medvedev versus Tommy Paul in the Shanghai Masters’ semi-finals, after enduring one of the worst US Open losses in decades.

As world No.13, the Spaniard was bounced from the tournament in September after an extraordinary, straight sets defeat to world No.93 Yunchaokete Bu.

Jodar lost that match 2-6, 1-6, 1-6 in 107 minutes, in the round of 128. The 20-year-old is expected to bounce back in 2027, and soon rival Alcaraz and Sinner for Slam trophies.

Should the Spanish starboy become the last member of a new era ‘Big Three,’ his career is drawing eerie parallels with that of Novak Djokovic.

The Serbian, who went on to claim 24 Slam titles and disturb the duopoly of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, wasn’t known for upsetting ball kids; however, his on-court antics were often slammed.

Before his prime, Djokovic was known for frequent racket smashes, early match retirements, and his vocally disruptive players box, which contained members of the Serbian’s family.

Should Jodar emerge as a contender to Alcaraz and Sinner at tennis Majors, it will be an uphill battle for the Spaniard to receive anywhere near as much fan support and love as his fellow countryman and the Italian.

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