Rafael Jódar's shoelaces spark debate over tennis dark arts at Cincinnati

At the Cincinnati Open, Rafael Jódar faced controversy during his second-round match against Denis Shapovalov, where equipment issues impacted play. After breaking his shoelaces while trailing 5-1 in the final set, Jódar took two equipment timeouts to change his shoes, one of which took significant time, frustrating Shapovalov. Despite appearing physically exhausted, Jódar recovered and won the match 7-5, 4-6, 7-5. The incidents raised questions about the use of equipment timeouts and their influence on match momentum. Jódar, who acknowledged his shoelace issues in prior tournaments, plans to have backup shoes ready for future matches.

• 9:01 AMYahoo Sports — Why Rafael Jódar’s shoelaces are at the center of a debate over dark arts in tennis