Jodar’s Shoelaces Break Again in Laver Cup Debut

Overview

• The Friday match in London saw Jodar stop after a lace failure three games in against Alexander Bublik, yet he recovered to win 6-2, 6-3.
• The Laver Cup incident continues a pattern of mid-match lace breaks this summer at the Washington Open, the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Open.
• Jodar says the problem stems from his aggressive sliding on hard courts and has begun bringing many replacement shoes to matches.
• Fans and some commentators have mocked the repeated stoppages as a gimmick, a reaction intensified by Jodar’s earlier terse exchanges with reporters and run‑ins with ball kids.
• The series of failures has put pressure on shoe makers over lace and shoe durability and raised questions about how officials should handle equipment-related stoppages in future matches.