International

WATCH: World No. 1 Novak Djokovic Hits Line Umpire With A Ball, Disqualified From US Open

Novak Djokovic hit the ball which hurt the female official who after few seconds collapses to the ground. He later posted an apology on instagram.

 

World number one tennis player Novak Djokovic was declared disqualified in the pre-quarterfinal match at the US Open on Sunday. Djokovic was competing against Spain’s Pabelle Carreno Busto in the pre-quarterfinals. Djokovic trailed 5-6 in the first set.

Annoyed by the setback, he hit a shot that directly hit the female officer in the neck. After this, the woman had difficulty breathing for some time. However, Djokovic reached out to the woman to know her health. But after some time the woman got up and walked out of the court. The match referee also talked to Djokovic about the incident and after discussing among themselves, Djokovic was disqualified.

The video of the incident went viral on social media. A user tweeted a video of this match. In this, it can be seen that Djokovic hit the ball which hurt the female official who after few seconds collapses to the ground. He later posted an apology on instagram. Many Tennis players expressed shock at the incident but also said that referee had no choice but to default Djokovic.

Djokovic is the third player to be disqualified in Grand Slam history. Prior to Djokovic, John McEnroe was disqualified from the Australian Open in 1990.

As per US Open rules, if a player injures an official or audience, he is consequently disqualified along with a penalty. The match referee also found Novak Djokovic guilty. Accordingly, on reaching the pre-quarter match in the tournament, the prize money to Djokovic will be deducted. Also, the ranking points which a player gets, will also be reduced.

For the first time, both Tennis legends Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are not playing in the tournament. Thus, it was expected that Djokovic can close the gap of wins.

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