Rafael Jodar is one of the brightest sparks in tennis right now, poised to enjoy great success throughout his career.
However, he is at risk of losing plenty of fans with his behaviour of late, having once again been at the centre of a controversy involving a ball kid.
During his recent win over Casper Ruud at the Shanghai Masters, he was heard and seen shouting at one, swearing as he demanded his towel.
Jodar has since apologised for his behaviour, but many are starting to worry. Once can be an anomaly, but multiple incidents represents a pattern.
Rafael Jodar defended by the president of Spanish tennis
Fortunately for him, the president of the Spanish tennis federation has now leapt to his defence.
It would be a shame to see Rafael Jodar tarnish his reputation by continuing in such a manner, having now been embroiled in controversy surrounding ball kids on a number of occasions.
This latest outburst is not an isolated event.
However, Miguel Diaz, the head of the tennis federation in Spain, has insisted that this is not a reflection of who the 19-year-old truly is.
He took to X to argue: “Rafa is a class act for apologizing. I can tell you he’s a wonderful person — I’ve known him since he was very young.”
The Spaniard finished by outlining his excitement to see his compatriot shining at another Master 1000 event, where he is due to face Daniil Medvedev for a spot in his maiden final at a tournament of this stature.
Jodar has come close to reaching a Masters 1000 final before, having made it to the semi-finals of the Canadian Open at the start of the summer.
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His run there was arguably even more impressive, having beaten Lorenzo Musetti, Jiri Lehecka and Arthur Fils before having his run halted by Brandon Nakashima.
