PARIS — Rafael Jodar denied pushing a ball girl during his third-round match against Alex Michelsen at the 2026 French Open in Paris on Friday. Video footage of the incident, which circulated on social media, was described as inconclusive, and it remained unclear whether any contact occurred between Jodar and the ball girl.

According to available accounts, Jodar had just thrown a water bottle into his box with his left hand when the ball girl walked across his path between sets. The ball girl momentarily lost her footing before regaining her balance. Jodar said she got her feet tangled in the court cover behind her, causing her to fall.

“I didn’t touch her. No, no, no. I could never do that,” Jodar said. He added that he was focused on retrieving items from his father after returning from a toilet break and was not attempting to move the ball girl. “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, like, fell, but not because I push(ed) her,” he said.

Jodar, 19, emphasized his respect for the ball kids working in difficult conditions. “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.”

The 27th-seeded Spaniard went on to win the match 7-6 (2), 6-7 (5), 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, marking his first appearance in the fourth round of a major tournament. He is scheduled to face Pablo Carreño Busta in the next round on Sunday.