Rafael Jodal Back in the Spotlight

Rafael Jodal can’t seem to escape the news lately.

Just two days after denying allegations of pushing a ball girl, the young Spanish tennis star found himself in another awkward situation during the French Open.

On Sunday, as he stepped onto the court for his Round of 16 match against Pablo Carreno Busta, a young mascot eagerly reached out her hand to greet him. Strangely, Jodal appeared to overlook or simply missed her as he walked by.

This moment quickly went viral, especially following his recent controversy over the ball girl incident.

During a set against Alex Mikkelsen, another ball girl seemed to catch Jodal off guard as she walked onto the court. Just as she raised her hand to speak to her father, who was nearby, she lost her balance and fell backward.

To some observers, it looked like Jodal had pushed her. However, he firmly denied any wrongdoing after the match, suggesting she had tripped over a tarpaulin on the court.

“She was walking backward; I mean, I didn’t push her or anything,” Jodal explained after his match with Michelsen. “I told my dad to give me what he was going to give me when he came back from the bathroom break.”

He continued, somewhat hesitantly, “But, yeah, she was in the middle, so I think she was trying to get out of the way. She was going backward, and I think she just fell, which wasn’t my fault.”

Despite the distractions, Jodal managed to come back from a two-set deficit against Carreno Busta to secure a win, with the final score being 4-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2.

Now ranked 22nd in the world, Jodal is set to face the second-seeded Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals. This match will mark their first encounter at Roland Garros.