Roland Garros has already delivered plenty of talking points, from Novak Djokovic’s surprise defeat to reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz being ruled out with a wrist injury.
There was even the moment Arthur Gea blurted out that he needed to sprint to the bathroom mid-match.
Now, another incident has sparked debate online, with one player forced to respond to claims he shoved a ball girl during his third-round victory at the French Open.
Spain’s Rafael Jodar (not to be confused with Rafael Nadal) booked his place in the fourth round on Friday after getting past American Alex Michelsen.
But despite the win, attention quickly shifted to a brief exchange near the sideline that some viewers interpreted as Jodar ‘pushing’ a ball girl.
The moment occurred as Jodar tossed a water bottle towards his team and crossed paths with the ball girl, who appeared to lose her footing.
At the same time, he motioned up towards his box, leading some to assume his hand caused her to stumble — something Jodar insists did not happen.
🚨 Este video se está haciendo viral, pero NO ES LO QUE PARECE.
En ningún momento Rafael Jódar empuja a la ball girl.
La chica se tropieza sola con la lona.pic.twitter.com/q9Ci4I0XUi https://t.co/1mqAiVCzoJ
— Tiempo De Tenis (@Tiempodetenis1) May 29, 2026
Addressing the clip after it spread online, Jodar said: ”I didn’t touch her. No, no, no. I could never do that,” as per TNT Sports.
“She was walking backwards, and I didn’t push her or anything. 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 she was in the middle, so I think she was trying to get out of the way.”
He added that the ball girl ‘fell back’ because the court covering was positioned directly behind her.
Jodar then stressed how much respect he has for the ball kids, especially with the high temperatures affecting conditions in France.
“I know it’s difficult with the heat and the conditions to stay there, so I appreciate it. I could never push a ball kid,” he added.
With his comeback win — 7-6(2) 6-7(5) 4-6 6-3 6-3 — Jodar has reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time in his career.
While Jodar’s team had reason to celebrate, the tournament took a different turn for Novak Djokovic, who suffered a stunning third-round exit that has fuelled speculation it could be the 39-year-old’s final appearance at the Slam ahead of retirement.
Despite taking the opening two sets, Djokovic was beaten by 19-year-old Joao Fonseca 4-6 4-6 6-3 7-5 7-5 after nearly five hours on court.