Spanish player Rafael Godar, aged 20, apologized for directing offensive language at a ball boy during a Round of 16 match at the Shanghai Tennis Masters, confirming that his behavior resulted from losing control of his emotions due to intense frustration felt during the competition.
For his part, Godar told journalists after defeating Norway's Casper Ruud in the quarterfinals that what he did was a clear mistake, emphasizing his great respect for ball boys and referees in all tournaments, and confirming that his behavior was not personally directed against any of them.
The Spanish player added that he was extremely frustrated due to losing the decisive point in the match, and that he did not intend to hurt the ball boy's feelings, but was only frustrated with his own performance, hoping for the opportunity to apologize in person for this inappropriate behavior.
Match details and penalty
Godar, who defeated Ruud 4-6, 6-4, and 6-3 to reach the semifinals, clarified that the referee made the right decision to accept the warning, noting that the incident occurred when he lost a point in a previous match against Dutch player Botic van de Zandschulp, where he asked the ball boy for a towel while using offensive language.
Chief referee Jaime Pinero, who also speaks Spanish, penalized Godar for unsportsmanlike conduct and warned him against speaking to ball boys in this manner again, especially after he argued about the penalty imposed on him.
Source: Arriyadiyah newspaper
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