Novak Djokovic was struck in the head with a water bottle following his first-round match at the Italian Open. The incident occurred after he defeated French player Corentin Moutet 6-3, 6-1 on May 10. Djokovic was hit in the head by a water bottle while approaching fans to sign autographs, causing him to fall to the ground in pain. Security quickly attended to him and the athlete underwent medication before returning to his hotel. Tournament organizers stated that his condition was not a cause for concern.
The Tennis Federation spokesman expressed their concern over the incident and stated that they were trying to identify the person responsible. An alternate angle of the incident revealed that the water bottle had accidentally fallen from a fan’s backpack. Despite the incident, Djokovic continued to prepare for his upcoming matches, including facing 29th-seeded Alejandro Tabilo on May 12 and defending his title at the French Open later in the month. This incident was not the first accidental injury on Djokovic’s courts, as he was previously disqualified from the US Open after inadvertently hitting a line judge with a ball in September 2020.
During the US Open incident, Djokovic unintentionally hit a lineswoman with a tennis ball after becoming frustrated during a match. Tournament officials decided to disqualify him from both the match and the tournament, in accordance with the Grand Slam rulebook. The United States Tennis Association confirmed the disqualification, stating that Djokovic would lose ranking points and be fined the prize money won at the tournament in addition to any other fines related to the incident. Djokovic later addressed the incident on Instagram, expressing sadness and apologizing for causing stress to the lineswoman. He acknowledged his mistake, apologized to the tournament and everyone involved, and reflected on the incident as a lesson for personal growth and development as both a player and a human being.
