Rafael Jodar responds after being accused of pushing over a ball girl
Rafael Jodar has been embroiled in controversy at Roland Garros after a viral video made it look like he pushed over a ball girl during his third round match.
The Spaniard played out an epic against Alex Michelsen to keep his Roland Garros hopes alive, coming back from two sets to one down to claim his place in the fourth round.
During the match, Jodar took a toilet break between sets which is when the alleged incident was caught on video.
Jodar, however, has dismissed claims that he pushed the girl, instead suggesting she slipped as he was walking passed her.
“There’s a video I saw of you when you’re leaving the court at some point in this match where you shove a ball girl. You pushed the ball girl out of the way. I’m wondering what happened there and why you did that?,” asked a journalist during his press conference.
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Jodar replied: “No, I mean… I finished the second or third set. I don’t remember which set it was. She was walking backwards and I think she.
“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… 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 pushed her, because it was something. It was right behind her. So when she was walking backwards she fell with that.
“But obviously I appreciate all the work that the ball kids are doing. I know it’s difficult with the heat and the conditions to stay there so I appreciate. I could never, you know, push a ball kid. I didn’t touch her. No no no. I could never do that.”
Jodar has confirmed a all-Spanish tie with Pablo Carreno Busta in the fourth round of Roland Garros and he is currently the bookies second favourite to win the entire tournament, behind Alexander Zverev.
It should come as no surprise after the Spanish rising star has soared in the rankings thanks to a superb run during the European clay court swing.
Jodar won his first ATP title in Morocco and followed it up by reaching a semi-final in the Barcelona Open and back-to-back quarter-finals at the Madrid Open and the Italian Open.
The Spanish star will likely set up a quarter-final clash with Zverev if he is able to beat his compatriot in his next match at Roland Garros.