A 19-year-old tennis star has found himself in the spotlight for the wrong reasons once again after a tense moment with a ball girl at the French Open. Rafael Jodar, who reached his first Grand Slam quarter-final on Monday, has become the subject of viral controversy for appearing to ignore a ball girl's handshake offer before his match against Pablo Carreno Busta.
Awkward Encounter on Court
As Jodar walked onto the court for his round of 16 clash at Roland Garros, a ball girl was seen waiting with an outstretched hand. However, the Spaniard walked straight past her, failing to acknowledge the gesture. The moment was captured on camera and quickly spread across social media, with one clip on X amassing over two million views.
In contrast, his opponent Carreno Busta entered the court holding hands with a young ball boy, highlighting the stark difference in their interactions. Despite the awkward start, Jodar later shook hands with the ball girl and ball boy before the coin toss, suggesting the snub may have been unintentional.
Previous Incident Resurfaces
This incident comes just two days after Jodar was accused of shoving a ball girl during his third-round victory. Video footage from behind appeared to show the girl being jolted backwards as Jodar stormed past her. However, Jodar vehemently denied the claims, explaining that the girl slipped on the controversial tarpaulins placed near the back wall.
“She was walking backwards, I mean, I didn’t push her or anything,” Jodar said after his win over Michelsen. “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. But yeah, 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.”
Roland Garros officials reviewed the incident and took no disciplinary action, clearing Jodar of any wrongdoing.
Rise Through the Ranks
Jodar's journey to the quarter-finals has been remarkable. Ranked 707th in the world at this time last year, he was losing in early rounds of Challenger events during the 2025 French Open. Now, he finds himself on the cusp of a semi-final berth after defeating Carreno Busta in a five-set epic.
His next challenge is second seed Alexander Zverev, who is considered the title favourite following the early exits of Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic. The German advanced to the quarter-finals with a straight-sets win over Dutch lucky loser Jesper de Jong, winning 7-6 (7/3), 6-4, 6-1.
Zverev Acknowledges Young Opponent
Zverev, a three-time Grand Slam runner-up, is eager to claim his first major title. He acknowledged Jodar's talent, saying, “He’s a very young player, incredibly talented, he’s come on the scene this clay-court season. He’s playing incredible tennis and it’s going to be a very difficult challenge but I have to trust myself and I’ll be ready for it.”
French Open Sees First-Time Winner Guaranteed
For the first time in a decade, both the men's and women's singles at Roland Garros will produce first-time champions. Four-time winner Iga Swiatek was the last former champion standing, but she suffered a surprise defeat to Madrid Open winner Marta Kostyuk on her 25th birthday, losing 7-5, 6-1.
Kostyuk, from Ukraine, will next face Elina Svitolina, who battled back to beat Swiss 11th seed Belinda Bencic 4-6, 6-4, 6-0. Svitolina has reached the French Open quarter-finals five times before but has never progressed beyond that stage.
With the top seeds falling, the door is wide open for Zverev and other contenders to seize their first Grand Slam title.
