"Damn it!" to ball kid → Even the chair umpire scolded him: "You can't talk like that"... Rafa Al-Hodari's profanity controversy

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Spanish tennis rising star Rafa Al-Hodari (20) could not celebrate his victory. He became the center of a controversy after using harsh profanity toward a ball kid during the match and being reprimanded by the chair umpire.

On the 14th (Korean time), Al-Hodari defeated Botic van de Zandschulp (Netherlands) 2-1 (6-7<4-7>, 6-4, 6-2) in the round of 16 of the men's singles at the ATP Tour Shanghai Masters held in Shanghai, China.

After dropping the first set, he completed a comeback victory by winning the next two sets in a row.

With this, Al-Hodari became the second player in history to reach the quarterfinals of the Shanghai Masters before turning 21, following Jakub Mensik (Czech Republic).

This is already his fourth quarterfinal appearance at a Masters 1000 event this year. Only world-class players such as Arthur Fils (France), Jannik Sinner (Italy), and Alexander Zverev (Germany) have matched or surpassed this record.

However, the shine of Al-Hodari's valuable victory was dimmed by his behavior during the match.

The incident occurred in the early part of the second set. According to Italian tennis media outlet 'Ubitennis', Al-Hodari shouted "Give me the damn towel, you bastard" in Spanish while asking a ball kid for a towel.

The outlet explained that it was an expression containing quite harsh profanity.

Coincidentally, chair umpire Jimmy Pina Argote also understood Spanish.

The moment the umpire heard Al-Hodari's remark, he immediately issued a code violation warning. A verbal altercation then ensued between the two.

Al-Hodari protested to the umpire, saying, "That kid isn't listening to me. Aren't I talking? And there is nothing wrong with what I said. It is really frustrating."

In response, chair umpire Pina Argote firmly retorted. He replied, "If you ask me to handle it, I will request it. But you cannot talk like that."

He then pointed out again, "We do not speak to ball kids in that manner."

Al-Hodari countered, "I have been playing for over an hour already. That kid is a bit distracted, so I spoke up."

However, the umpire said, "I fully understand what you are saying," while once again drawing a line by stating, "You cannot talk like that."

Ultimately, Al-Hodari received an official warning during the match. In accordance with ATP Tour regulations, there is also a possibility that he will face additional fines for this behavior.

Meanwhile, Al-Hodari is scheduled to face Casper Ruud (Norway) on the 16th in a match for a spot in the semifinals.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original