Rafael Jódar is having a massive breakthrough season. With defending champion Carlos Alcaraz out with an injury and giants like Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner exiting early, the 19-year-old is considered one of the favorites to win Roland-Garros.
However, rather than his run to his first-ever Grand Slam quarter-final, Jódar is getting backlash for his antics. For the second time in just a few days, he is facing social media outrage regarding his interactions with the tournament’s young helpers.
Let’s take a look at the full incident.
Did Rafael Jodar Snub The Ball Girl At French Open? All About The Second Incident
On Sunday, just before Jódar’s fourth-round match against Pablo Carreño Busta, as he was introduced onto the court, a small child was waiting with her hand outstretched to walk with him. Jódar completely missed the cue, walking right past the young girl without taking her hand.
Cada vez Rafael Jodar me surpreende mais. Tadinha da menininha 🥹 pic.twitter.com/7wL5G55sF7
— Desi (@desi_2802) May 31, 2026
The clip quickly became viral. However, as is often the case with a 19-year-old stepping onto one of the biggest stages in the sport, Jódar was simply nervous and suffering from the pre-match tunnel vision. Later, he went back over to the girl and shook her hand.
Rafa Jódar was simply very nervous when he walked onto the court. Afterwards, he went over to the girl and shook her hand. The reaction online over the last two days has been completely ridiculous https://t.co/e2hheY67zu pic.twitter.com/xAdMcJceUO
— Bryan Gavi Carlitos (@BryanyGavi) May 31, 2026
This type of “involuntary gesture” is more common than fans on social media might think. In fact, just last month at the Italian Open, 24-year-old Luciano Darderi burst onto the court in sunglasses ahead of his semi-final against Casper Ruud, completely missing the ball kid waiting for him, and later had to take to Instagram to apologize for the oversight.
In Jódar’s case, however, the internet was particularly quick to jump on it because of another viral clip from his third-round victory over Alex Michelsen just two days prior.
A clip was circulated that appeared to show Jódar pushing a ball girl as they crossed paths. In reality, it was just a camera angle combined with a hazardous court setup.
The heavy green tarp at the back of the courts has proven highly controversial in Paris this week, causing injuries to the kids and players, including Zeynep Sonmez, Alex Bloxx, and Katie Boulter, and even causing them to withdraw.
Jódar directly addressed the misunderstanding on Friday, explaining the situation clearly:
“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,” Jódar clarified. “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 because it was something for [the court cover].”
Jódar made sure to emphasize his respect for the ballkids who help in the Paris heat:
“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.”
While social media fixates on such out-of-context moments, Jódar has been spectacular on the court. He fought back from a two-set deficit to beat Carreño Busta, punching his ticket to his first-ever Grand Slam quarter-final. Next up, he is set to face the world No. 3 Alexander Zverev, who is eyeing his first-ever major.
