Rafa Jodar has denied pushing or touching a ball girl at Roland Garros after being questioned about a video from one of his matches in Paris.
The 19-year-old Spaniard said the ball girl slipped on a court cover while moving backwards and insisted he had made no contact with her.
Jodar was asked directly about the incident after his Roland Garros match, with the question put to him that he had pushed a ball girl while leaving the court.
Rafa Jodar denies pushing ball girl at Roland Garros
Jodar rejected that version of events and said he did not push the ball girl during the incident.
He said the incident happened after either the second or third set, when he was returning from a toilet break and communicating with his father.
Jodar said the ball girl was in the middle of the area and appeared to be trying to move out of the way while walking backwards.
The clearest denial came when Jodar was asked whether he had touched the ball girl with his hands.
He said: “No, I didn’t touch her. No no no. I could never do that.”
Jodar says court cover caused the fall
Jodar’s explanation was that the ball girl fell because of the court cover behind her as she stepped backwards.
He said she was walking backwards and fell because the court cover was right behind her.
That is the key distinction in his account. Jodar did not just deny intent, he denied contact.
Jodar also made a point of saying he respected the work done by ball kids at Roland Garros.
He said he appreciates the work they do, particularly with the heat and conditions players and ball kids have faced in Paris.
Roland Garros context adds weight to Jodar’s explanation
The wider Roland Garros context matters, although it does not prove what happened in this specific incident.
Several players have already raised concerns about court layouts and courtside obstacles during the 2026 tournament.
That makes Jodar’s reference to the court cover relevant context rather than a minor detail.
Jodar had already made an impression on court in Paris, with Roland Garros describing him as a 19-year-old Spaniard after his opening win.
He beat Aleksandar Kovacevic in straight sets, winning 6-1, 6-0, 6-4 in the first round.
The important point is that Jodar’s answer was direct. He denied pushing the ball girl, denied touching her, and gave a specific explanation for why she fell.
No further claim should go beyond that without stronger evidence.
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