Novak Djokovic was struck in the head with a water bottle following his first-round match at the Italian Open.
The tennis phenom, 36, took to the stands after defeating French player Corentin Moutet 6-3, 6-1 on Friday, May 10. Per social media footage shared via X, Djokovic was hit in the head as he approached fans to sign autographs, causing him to fall to the ground in pain.
Security at the event, which is held at Foro Italico in Rome, Italy, quickly ran to Djokovic’s aid before ushering him back into the building.
Following the incident, tournament organizers released a statement sharing that the athlete “underwent appropriate medication and has already left the Foro Italico to return to his hotel” and noted that “his condition is not a cause for concern.”
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“We’re very upset about what happened, and we are trying to figure out who it was and understand the dynamics,” Tennis Federation spokesman Alessandro Catapano said in a statement, per Fox News. “The police came and asked for information, but the person who did it had already left. We’re going through all of the video and camera angles to see if we can determine what exactly happened.”
Hours later, an alternate angle of the moment was posted to X, revealing that the water bottle had fallen from above Djokovic accidentally after it slid out of a fan’s backpack.
Friday’s match marked Djokovic’s first of the tournament, where he sits as the No. 1 seed. His next match will be against 29th-seeded Alejandro Tabilo on Sunday, May 12. Later this month, he will attempt to defend his title at the French Open which kicks off on May 26.
This isn’t the first time an accidental injury has occurred on one of Djokovic’s courts. During the US Open in September 2020, the player inadvertently hit a lineswoman with a tennis ball and was subsequently disqualified during a fourth-round match against Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta.
Novak Djokovic got hit in the head with a bottle by someone in the crowd and fell and is bleeding.
Shocking lack of security by the Rome tournament.
Someone protect this man.pic.twitter.com/fGnVrYpb4h
— Danny
(@DjokovicFan_) May 10, 2024
During the match, Djokovic appeared frustrated after being down 5-6 in the first set and appearing to suffer a shoulder injury. As he walked off to the sideline for a changeover, he took a ball out of his pocket and his it behind him, striking the woman.
Djokovic was then approached by tournament referee Soeren Friemel and Grand Slam supervisor Andreas Egli who spoke on the court for more than 5 minutes before ultimately deciding to disqualify Djokovic from both the match and the tournament.
“In accordance with the Grand Slam rulebook, following his actions of intentionally hitting a ball dangerously or recklessly within the court or hitting a ball with negligent disregard of the consequences, the US. Open tournament referee defaulted Novak Djokovic from the 2020 US Open,” the United Stated Tennis Association said in a statement at the time. “Because he was defaulted, Djokovic will lose all ranking points earned at the US Open and will be fined the prize money won at the tournament in addition to any or all fines levied with respect to the offending incident.”
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Djokovic later addressed the incident via Instagram, writing, “This whole situation has left me really sad and empty. I checked on the lines person and the tournament told me that thank God she is feeling ok. I’m extremely sorry to have caused her such stress. So unintended. So wrong. I’m not disclosing her name to respect her privacy.”
He continued, “As for the disqualification, I need to go back within and work on my disappointment and turn this all into a lesson for my growth and evolution as a player and human being. I apologize to the @usopen tournament and everyone associated for my behavior. I’m very grateful to my team and family for being my rock support, and my fans for always being there with me. Thank you and I’m so sorry.”
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