The frustrated Spaniard muttered: “Give me the f***ing towel, d*** it,” in his native tongue. Pinoargote then gave him a warning for unsportsmanlike conduct, with Jodar pleading his case to no avail.

It didn’t seem to impact him too much, with the 20-year-old eventually winning 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-2. It set up a quarter-final clash against Casper Ruud, which the young prodigy also won, this time defeating the Dane 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.

And in the aftermath of that win, Jodar spoke about the saga involving the ball kid. He remarked: "It was a mistake on my part. After the match, I reflected on it and realised that I shouldn't have treated the ball boy that way. I was wrong.

"I have tremendous respect for the ball boys and the chair umpires in every match and every tournament. I shouldn't have treated the ball boy in that manner. I was very frustrated with how the match was unfolding. It had been a very tight point and, honestly, it wasn't my intention to hurt the ball boy's feelings or anything like that. I was simply frustrated with myself. At that moment in the match, I wasn't able to control my emotions"

He added: "So yes, it was my mistake and I'm going to try to make sure it doesn't happen again, because that's not the right way to treat ball boys. I have tremendous respect for their work and I want to make it clear that I had nothing against him"