Rafael Jodar draws Isner's defense after Shanghai warning
John Isner defended Rafael Jodar against harsh online criticism after his Shanghai warning, while saying he must treat ball kids better.
John Isner says the criticism of Rafael Jodar has gone too far after his treatment of a ball kid in Shanghai. He also says the Spaniard needs to improve his behavior.
Isner calls for a measured response
Rafael Jodar has drawn a defense from John Isner after receiving an unsportsmanlike conduct warning for swearing during his Shanghai Masters win over Botic van de Zandschulp. Isner considers the online response excessive, while acknowledging that Jodar's conduct toward ball kids needs to change. His support came with conditions.
The former world No. 8 pointed to the heat in Shanghai and the pressure of competition as context for the outburst, rather than reasons to excuse it. He said young players can struggle to control their reactions on court. At 20, Jodar has time to improve, Isner argued, but still has a responsibility to treat the children working around him properly.
A disputed call led to the warning
The incident came during the fourth round, after Jodar believed a passing shot down the line had been wrongly called out and demanded his towel with profanity. Chair umpire Jimmy Pinoargote issued a code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct. Jodar challenged the decision.
The Spaniard argued that he had not sworn at the ball kid and complained that the umpire had been too quick to warn him. Pinoargote responded that Jodar could ask him to check the call, but could not behave that way. The exchange left the disputed shot and the player's response as separate issues: Jodar objected to the call, while the warning addressed his conduct.
Results sit alongside renewed scrutiny
Jodar's Shanghai win came amid a strong recent run: the world No. 13 has a 7-3 record across his last ten completed matches. Results have not stopped the scrutiny. The latest argument brought renewed attention to how he behaves around ball kids, rather than to the tennis that carried him through the round.
For ranking context, Novak Djokovic is No. 8, with a 6-4 record across his last ten completed matches. Jodar's own recent results provide useful context for his progress, but they do not resolve the questions raised by the Shanghai exchange. His performance and his conduct remain separate matters, and Isner's defense did not suggest that winning should soften the standard expected of him.
The next test is his response
This was not Jodar's only disputed encounter with a ball kid this season, which helps explain why the Shanghai incident attracted renewed attention online. At the French Open, he was accused of pushing a ball girl. He denied doing so. His account was that she had tripped and fallen backward.
Isner acknowledged those earlier moments while arguing that the response to Shanghai should leave room for a young player to learn from his mistakes. He stressed the work ball kids do and the respect they deserve from players. The standard remains clear. Jodar's next response to frustration will matter more than an argument over whether the criticism has been too severe.
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