Rafael Jodar has reached the Roland-Garros fourth round after a hard-fought five-set victory over American Alex Michelsen in the third round on Friday at Court Simonne-Mathieu. The 19-year-old Spaniard, ranked as the No. 27 seed, recovered from a two-sets-to-one deficit to win 7-6, 6-7, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 in 4 hours and 16 minutes. His comeback booked him a place in the round of 16, where he will face fellow Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta.
However, the match has also drawn attention for an incident near the end of the fourth set that sparked debate on social media. As Jodar returned to his chair after leveling the match at two sets apiece, he picked up a bottle and headed toward the locker-room area for his permitted break. During that sequence, he appeared to move past a ball girl while tossing a towel toward the stands, possibly to someone in his team. Some viewers interpreted the moment as him forcefully pushing the ball girl aside, leading to criticism and accusations of inappropriate behavior.
The controversy intensified because earlier in the match Jodar had also been seen urging a ball boy to bring him a fresh towel, a gesture that some fans viewed as overly demanding. The brief clips circulated online quickly, with many users reacting strongly before the full context was clear.
Jodar addressed the issue in his post-match press conference and firmly denied having pushed the ball girl. He said that when the set ended, he was following his usual routine of going to the restroom and taking a short break, and that his father was trying to hand him something at that moment. According to Jodar, the girl was simply in the middle of the walkway, tried to move aside, and backed into the tarp covering the court. He said he did not touch her and had not watched the video.
The Spaniard stressed that people would interpret the footage however they wanted, but insisted that his account was accurate. He also rejected any suggestion that he would act aggressively toward a ball girl, saying he understands how difficult their work is, especially in the heat. Jodar added that he appreciates the important role ball kids play in matches and said he would never intentionally mistreat one.
The incident has added an unexpected layer of controversy to what was otherwise a major breakthrough victory for the teenager, who continues his strong run at one of tennis’s biggest tournaments.
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