Videos showed Novak Djokovic placing both of his hands on his head and then curling up on the ground after getting hit. (Screengrabs via @InteBNLdItalia on X)
World No 1 Novak Djokovic got hit on his head with a water bottle and sunk to the floor after his 6-3, 6-1 win over French qualifier Corentin Moutet in his opening match at the Italian Open on Friday. The 24-time Grand Slam champion was returning after nearly a month off.
Videos showed Djokovic placing both of his hands on his head and then curling up on the ground after getting hit. A security guard hovered over Djokovic, in an apparent attempt to shield Djokovic, who was later helped down the tunnel into the locker room.
What hit Djokovic on head
Later, after multiple videos surfaced, it became apparent that the “attack” on Djokovic was not deliberate.
The bottle belonged to a fan, who was leaning over the railing to hand Djokovic his notebook for a signature, when an aluminum-type water bottle slipped out of his backpack and hit the top-ranked player on the top of his head.
While Djokovic skipped his press conference, he said he was “fine” later.
“Thank you for the messages of concern. This was an accident and I am fine resting at the hotel with an ice pack,” Djokovic posted on X. “See you all on Sunday.”
WATCH: Djokovic gets hit on the head with a bottle
The tournament released a video showing that Novak Djokovic was hit on the head by accident.
The bottle slipped from a fan’s backpack.
Just a very unfortunate, unlucky situation. ❤️🩹
(via @InteBNLdItalia)
pic.twitter.com/5LIzzWZpMS— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) May 10, 2024
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Djokovic left upset by incident
Djokovic had a bump on his head and he was checked by doctors, tournament organizers said. He did not hold his usual post-match news conference.
“While leaving center court after his match, Novak Djokovic was hit on the head by a water bottle while signing autographs. He received medical attention and has already left the Foro Italico to return to his hotel. His condition is not a cause for concern,” organizers said in a statement.
Djokovic had a bit of blood on his head but did not require stitches, Italian Tennis Federation spokesman Alessandro Catapano said.
“He was upset, but he seems OK,” Catapano had said before the footage showed that the incident was inadvertent. “We’re also very upset about what happened and we are trying to figure out who it was and understand the dynamics. The police came and asked for information but the person who did it had already left,” Catapano added. “We’re going through all of the video and camera angles to see if we can determine what exactly happened.”
The 36-year-old Serb is preparing to defend his title at the French Open, which starts May 26.
I’m Manas Ranjan Sahoo: Founder of “Webtirety Software”. I’m a Full-time Software Professional and an aspiring entrepreneur, dedicated to growing this platform as large as possible. I love to Write Blogs on Software, Mobile applications, Web Technology, eCommerce, SEO, and about My experience with Life.
