Novak Djokovic Struck in Head by a Water Bottle at Italian Open 

Novak Djokovic was struck in the head with a drinking water bottle next his initially-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. For each social media footage shared via X, Djokovic was strike in the head as he approached followers to indication autographs, resulting in him to slide to the floor in agony.

Safety at the occasion, which is held at Foro Italico in Rome, Italy, quickly ran to Djokovic’s support ahead of ushering him back into the developing.

Subsequent the incident, tournament organizers introduced a statement sharing that the athlete “underwent acceptable treatment and has now left the Foro Italico to return to his hotel” and famous that “his issue is not a trigger for problem.”

“We’re very upset about what happened, and we are trying to determine out who it was and realize the dynamics,” Tennis Federation spokesman Alessandro Catapano explained in a assertion, for every Fox News. “The police came and asked for facts, but the man or woman who did it experienced now still left. We’re likely as a result of all of the video clip and digicam angles to see if we can identify what specifically happened.”

Hrs later on, an alternate angle of the second was posted to X, revealing that the drinking water bottle experienced fallen from previously mentioned Djokovic accidentally immediately after it slid out of a fan’s backpack.

Friday’s match marked Djokovic’s initially of the event, where by he sits as the No. 1 seed. His future match will be towards 29th-seeded Alejandro Tabilo on Sunday, May possibly 12. Later this thirty day period, he will try to protect his title at the French Open up which kicks off on May well 26.

This isn’t the 1st time an accidental harm has happened on a person of Djokovic’s courts. All through the US Open in September 2020, the participant inadvertently hit a lineswoman with a tennis ball and was subsequently disqualified all through a fourth-spherical match towards Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta.

Novak Djokovic bought strike in the head with a bottle by another person in the group and fell and is bleeding.

Surprising absence of protection by the Rome match.

A person protect this man.pic.twitter.com/fGnVrYpb4h

— Danny 🐊 (@DjokovicFan_) May 10, 2024

For the duration of the match, Djokovic appeared discouraged just after remaining down 5-6 in the very first established and showing up to experience a shoulder harm. As he walked off to the sideline for a changeover, he took a ball out of his pocket and his it behind him, placing the girl.

Djokovic was then approached by tournament referee Soeren Friemel and Grand Slam supervisor Andreas Egli who spoke on the courtroom for far more than 5 minutes in advance of ultimately determining to disqualify Djokovic from both equally the match and the match.

“In accordance with the Grand Slam rulebook, subsequent his steps of deliberately hitting a ball dangerously or recklessly inside the court docket or hitting a ball with negligent disregard of the consequences, the US. Open up event referee defaulted Novak Djokovic from the 2020 US Open up,” the United Stated Tennis Affiliation stated in a statement at the time. “Because he was defaulted, Djokovic will reduce all rating points earned at the US Open and will be fined the prize cash received at the event in addition to any or all fines levied with regard to the offending incident.”

Djokovic afterwards addressed the incident by way of Instagram, crafting, “This whole situation has left me truly sad and empty. I checked on the traces man or woman and the tournament informed me that thank God she is feeling ok. I’m particularly sorry to have brought about her these kinds of strain. So unintended. So completely wrong. I’m not disclosing her title to regard her privateness.”

He ongoing, “As for the disqualification, I require to go back again within just and work on my disappointment and turn this all into a lesson for my expansion and evolution as a participant and human remaining. I apologize to the @usopen tournament and all people involved for my behavior. I’m very grateful to my group and family for staying my rock aid, and my enthusiasts for always getting there with me. Thank you and I’m so sorry.”