Rising Spanish tennis star Rafael Jodar was caught in a firestorm on Friday after he was accused of pushing a ball-girl at the French Open.
Jodar, 19, was exiting the court after finishing a set against American Alex Michelsen when the ball-girl walked into his path.
As he raised his hand to say something to his dad nearby, the girl briefly lost her balance and was sent backwards — creating the appearance she was shoved by Jodar and leaving fans in a tizzy on social media
However, the Spanish teenager denied pushing the girl after the match, and theorized that she had actually tripped over a tarp on the court.
“She was walking backwards, I mean, I didn’t push her or anything,” Jodar said after beating Michelsen.
“I was telling my dad to give me the things that he was going to give me after a toilet break when I was coming back.
‘But yeah, she was in the middle, so I think she was trying to get out of the way. She was going backwards, but I think she fell, but not because I push her.”
Jodar, who ultimately beat Michelsen 7-6(2), 6-7(5), 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 in a five-set thriller, also expressed his appreciation for the ball-kids working Roland Garros in the French heat.
“Obviously, I appreciate all the work that the ball kids are doing,” he said. “I know it’s difficult with the heat and the conditions to stay there, so I appreciate. I could never push a ball kid.”
The ball-girl’s apparent trip over the court cover is not the first time someone at the tournament has tripped over something at this year’s French Open.
Katie Boulter and Zeynep Sonmez have both lost their balance over sponsorship boards behind the baseline, with Boulter writing on X: “THESE THINGS HAVE TO GO.”
Jodar will face fellow Spaniard Pablo Carreño Busta in the fourth round on Sunday.
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