Spanish tennis player Rafael Jodar has denied any wrongdoing after a brief on-court incident during his third-round match at the French Open sparked debate on social media.

Footage circulating online appeared to show a moment between sets in which Jodar threw a water bottle towards his player’s box as a ball girl moved across his path.The girl briefly appeared to lose her balance before regaining her footing, prompting some viewers to question whether contact had occurred.Jodar strongly rejected any suggestion that he had pushed or touched the ball girl.

Speaking after the match, he insisted that he had been gesturing to his father in his player’s box following a toilet break, asking for items to be passed to him.

He maintained that the ball girl was not obstructed by him and that she may have moved backwards and slipped due to the court surface behind her rather than any physical interaction.

He repeatedly emphasised that he would never intentionally harm a ball kid and expressed appreciation for their work under difficult conditions, including heat and demanding match environments.

Despite the controversy, Jodar went on to win a hard-fought five-set match against American opponent Alex Michelsen, securing his place in the fourth round of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time in his career.He is now set to face fellow Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta for a place in the quarter-finals.

The incident became part of wider discussion around the tournament, which also saw high-profile results elsewhere, including Novak Djokovic’s unexpected defeat earlier in the day.