Overview
- Chair umpire Jimmy Pinoargote issued Rafael Jodar a code violation after hearing the 20‑year‑old shout an expletive at a ball kid during his Shanghai Masters round‑of‑16 match on Wednesday, Oct. 14.
- Jodar recovered to beat Botic van de Zandschulp 6‑7(4), 6‑4, 6‑2 and moved into the quarterfinals to meet Casper Ruud, so the in‑match warning did not change the tournament result.
- Pinoargote told Jodar the warning was about the manner of address, saying he understood the player's frustration but that players must not speak to ball kids that way.
- Under the ATP Tour rulebook, an in‑match code can be followed by a post‑match fine, and multiple outlets say a fine is likely though no formal sanction has been announced.
- The episode, which went viral online, adds to several ball‑kid incidents involving Jodar this year and has intensified debate over umpiring consistency and the player's reputation on tour.