Roland-Garros 2026: Rafa Jodar Says He Would Never Push a Ball Girl and Defends Himself

Spanish teenager Rafa Jodar said he did not push a ball girl during a moment that sparked a brief social-media controversy after video clips from his five-set win over American Alex Michelsen spread online. In the footage, Jodar appeared at first glance to make contact with the ball girl while leaving the court after the fourth set to go to the bathroom. The 19-year-old explained in his press conference that the incident was misread because the girl was walking backward, trying to move aside, and then fell over something on the court behind her. He insisted he never pushed her and said he has great respect for ball girls and boys, describing their job as difficult in hot conditions.

Jodar said he had not even seen the images himself and understood that people could interpret the scene differently. He repeated that he would never touch, let alone push, a ball girl. The controversy quickly faded as viewers examined the clip more closely in slow motion, and the explanation appeared to match what happened.

The Spaniard’s focus was instead on a major on-court achievement. He beat Michelsen 7-6(7/2), 6-7(5/7), 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 in a marathon lasting 4 hours and 16 minutes. The result marked an important step in his development and extended what has been a strong clay-court season. Jodar said matches like this teach him a great deal because he had never faced such a situation before in his career. He described being forced to solve problems after falling behind badly at different stages of the contest.

Despite the tension and the long battle, Jodar said he came away satisfied with his effort even if the result had gone the other way. He said the match mattered because of the fight he showed and the solutions he found under pressure. The win also set up a next-round meeting with Pablo Carreño, giving the young Madrid-born player another chance to measure himself against an experienced opponent.

For Jodar, the episode became a minor off-court distraction, but the bigger story remained his breakthrough performance. The match showed both his resilience and his ability to handle adversity, while the viral controversy was defused by his explanation and the context visible in the replay.