Novak Djokovic Hit by Fan's Water Bottle After Italian Open Victory

Internazionali BNL D'Italia 2024 - Day Five

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Novak Djokovic, 36, was hit in the head with a water bottle after winning his first-round match at the Italian Open. He had just defeated French player Corentin Moutet 6-3, 6-1 on Friday, May 10. As Djokovic was signing autographs for fans in the stands, someone threw a water bottle at him, causing him to fall to the ground in pain.

Security at the event, taking place at Foro Italico in Rome, Italy, promptly assisted Djokovic before guiding him back inside the building.

After the incident, the tournament organizers issued a statement revealing that the player "received necessary medical treatment and has already departed Foro Italico to go back to his hotel" and assured that "his condition is not a matter of worry."

Tennis Federation spokesman Alessandro Catapano expressed their concern over the incident and mentioned that they are currently investigating to identify the individual responsible and understand the situation. The police requested information, but the person involved had already departed. They are reviewing all available video footage and camera angles to clarify the sequence of events.

Later on, a different perspective of the incident surfaced on X, showing that the water bottle had unintentionally slipped out of a fan's backpack and fallen on Djokovic from above.

Friday's match was Djokovic's first in the tournament, where he holds the top seed position. His upcoming match is against 29th-seeded Alejandro Tabilo on Sunday, May 12. Later this month, he will defend his title at the French Open starting on May 26.

Accidental injuries on Djokovic's courts are not uncommon. During the US Open in September 2020, he accidentally hit a lineswoman with a tennis ball, leading to his disqualification in a fourth-round match against Spain's Pablo Carreno Busta.

In the match, Djokovic seemed upset when he was losing 5-6 in the first set and seemed to hurt his shoulder. While heading to the sideline for a break, he accidentally hit a ball behind him, unintentionally hitting a woman.

Djokovic was then approached by tournament referee Soeren Friemel and Grand Slam supervisor Andreas Egli. They 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 U.S. Open tournament referee defaulted Novak Djokovic from the 2020 U.S. Open,” the United States Tennis Association said in a statement at the time. “Because he was defaulted, Djokovic will lose all ranking points earned at the U.S. 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.”

Djokovic later took to Instagram to address the incident. He expressed feeling sad and empty about the situation. However, he mentioned that he checked on the lines person and was relieved to hear that she was okay. He apologized for causing her stress, emphasizing that it was unintentional and wrong. He also made sure to keep her name private out of respect for her privacy.

In his post, Djokovic acknowledged the disqualification and stated that he needs to reflect on his actions. He plans to use this experience as a lesson for personal growth, both as a player and as a human being. He apologized to the @usopen tournament and everyone involved for his behavior. Djokovic expressed gratitude to his team, family, and fans for their unwavering support. He concluded by thanking them and apologizing once again for the incident.

Editor's P/S:

The incident involving Novak Djokovic being hit by a water bottle during the Italian Open highlights the importance of safety measures at sporting events. It is concerning that an individual was able to throw an object at a player, potentially causing harm. The organizers and security personnel need to implement stricter security measures to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future. It is also crucial to identify and hold accountable the individual responsible for this reckless act.

Furthermore, the investigation into whether the water bottle was intentionally thrown or accidentally slipped remains ongoing. Regardless of the outcome, it is essential to raise awareness about the consequences of such actions at sporting events. Fans have a responsibility to behave respectfully and refrain from engaging in any behavior that could compromise the safety of players or others in attendance. The incident serves as a reminder that sports events should be enjoyed in a safe and responsible manner.