Djokovic disqualified: Novak ‘sad and empty’ after hitting line judge with ball

Novak Djokovic’s US Open dreams have been dashed as the world number one was disqualified from the competition on Sunday after hitting a line judge with a ball.

The Serbian player was facing Pablo Carreno Busta in the fourth round of the tournament when he angrily smashed a ball towards the back of the court in frustration, accidentally striking the female line judge in the neck.

The woman fell to the ground due to the force of the blow, and Djokovic rushed to her aid. Novak, 33, remained on court for around 10 minutes following the incident, before officials confirmed his fate, reports the Wide World of Sports.

Oh my god, Djokovic got disqualified from the US Open.pic.twitter.com/yCo3Lqw0tg

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) September 6, 2020

While the tennis ace did not front the press after the match, Djokovic has since published a statement on social media and apologised for causing the unnamed lineswoman “such stress”.

“This whole situation has left me really sad and empty,” he said. “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.” [sic]

https://www.instagram.com/p/CE0AzAOH2cp/?utm_source=ig_embed

Fans and fellow players also responded to the news, with Aussie star Nick Kyrgios suggesting that he would be banned from the sport if he committed a similar action. He wrote on Twitter: “Swap me for jokers [Djokovic] incident. ‘Accidentally hitting the ball kid in the throat’… how many years would I be banned for?”

While American great Billie Jean King said: “Here are my thoughts on the Novak Djokovic default. First I hope the line judge is okay. The rule is the rule. It is unfortunate for everyone involved, but in this specific situation the default was the right call.”

Many fans backed the decision, with one writing: “The rule states that any ball hit while not in play, which then hits someone else, is an automatic default. This was an easy decision for the officials to make.” However others suggested that the lines woman overreacted to the blow.