World No.1 Novak Djokovic disqualified from US Open

New York: Unbelievable scenes played out at the fourth round match of the US Open as World No. 1 Novak Djokovic was ousted from the tournament for accidentally hitting a line judge in the throat with a tennis ball.

His reaction to hitting the ball came after he dropped a game against Pablo Carreno Busta on Sunday (September 6). The disqualification rendered a stunning end to his 29-match winning streak and bid for an 18th Grand Slam title.

As he walked to the Arthur Ashe Stadium sideline for a changeover, trailing Pablo Carreno Busta 5-6 in the first set, Djokovic angrily smacked a ball behind him. The ball flew right at the line judge, who dropped to her knees at the back of the court and reached for her neck.

During a discussion of about 10 minutes near the net involving chair umpire Aurelie Tourte, tournament referee Soeren Friemel and Grand Slam supervisor Andreas Egli, Djokovic appeared to be pleading his case. But eventually, he walked over to shake hands with Carreno Busta.

Tourte then announced that Djokovic has defaulted, the tennis equivalent of an ejection. “I was a little bit in shock, no?” Carreno Busta said later. Djokovic left the tournament grounds without speaking to the media.

Asked whether Djokovic should have been allowed to continue to play, Carreno Busta shrugged and replied: “Well, the rules are the rules…. The referee and the supervisor (did) the right thing, but it’s not easy to do it.”

“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 Tennis Association statement read.

 

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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. 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. Cela ova situacija me čini zaista tužnim i praznim. Proverio sam kako se oseća linijski sudija, i prema informacijama koje sam dobio, oseća se dobro, hvala Bogu. Njeno ime ne mogu da otkrijem zbog očuvanja njene privatnosti. Jako mi je žao što sam joj naneo takav stres. Nije bilo namerno. Bilo je pogrešno. Želim da ovo neprijatno iskustvo, diskvalifikaciju sa turnira, pretvorim u važnu životnu lekciju, kako bih nastavio da rastem i razvijam se kao čovek, ali i teniser. Izvinjavam se organizatorima US Opena. Veoma sam zahvalan svom timu i porodici što mi pružaju snažnu podršku, kao i mojim navijačima jer su uvek uz mene. Hvala vam i žao mi je. Bio je ovo težak dan za sve.

A post shared by Novak Djokovic (@djokernole) on Sep 6, 2020 at 3:58pm PDT

Djokovic later issued a statement on his Instagram page apologising to his fans. “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,” he said.

With reigning US Open champion Nadal, who cited concerns about travelling amid the pandemic, and Federer, sidelined after two knee operations, not in the field, the 33-year-old Djokovic was expected to claim a fourth trophy in New York and gain on them.

But it all came apart so suddenly Sunday, even if it was clear that Djokovic did not intend to hit the line judge. He wasn’t looking in her direction when his racket made contact with the ball, and there was concern written on his face as soon as he realized what happened.

Djokovic’s mood had soured over the preceding few minutes Sunday. In the prior game, he wasted three consecutive breakpoints and after the last, which Carreno Busta won with a drop shot, Djokovic whacked a ball off a courtside advertising sign.

His departure means there is no man left in the field who has won a Grand Slam singles title. Whoever emerges as champion will be the first first-time major trophy winner in men’s tennis since 2014, when Marin Cilic won the US Open.