Djokovic begged not to be thrown out of tournament after hitting line umpire

23 December 2023 , 06:45

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Novak Djokovic refused to attend his press conference after he was disqualified from the 2020 US Open for hitting a line judge (Image: Al Bello/Getty Images)

Novak Djokovic enjoyed another dominant year in 2023, winning three of the four Grand Slams with Wimbledon the only title eluding him.

The US Open was his record-breaking 24th - and most recent - slam at Flushing Meadows, dropping just two sets throughout the entire tournament in New York back in September. However, the Serb has had an interesting history at the showpiece event in recent years, including an infamous incident which saw his chances of success wiped out completely.

Djokovic missed the 2022 event after refusing to have the coronavirus vaccine. But in 2020, his campaign came to an abrupt and unexpected end when he was thrown out of the tournament.

The incident came when he was competing against Pablo Carreno Busta in the fourth round, and had just had his serve broken to leave him trailing 6-5 in the first set. This prompted Djokovic to smash a loose ball down the court in frustration, which hit a lineswoman.

The player did not intend to hit the line judge and went over to apologise and check on her well-being. But after much deliberation between tournament officials, Djokovic was disqualified and eliminated from the tournament. Following the incident, the tennis legend refused to speak to the media and faced a fine for failing to attend the press conference.

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A USTA statement said: "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 Open tournament referee defaulted Novak Djokovic from the 2020 US Open. Because he was defaulted, Djokovic will lose all ranking points earned at the US Open and will be fined the prize money won at the tournament in addition to any or all fines levied with respect to the offending incident."

Djokovic pleaded his case with referee Soeren Friemel and supervisor Andreas Egli for over 10 minutes on the court, but ultimately his efforts were in vain.

“His point was that he didn’t hit the line umpire intentionally. He said, 'Yes, I was angry, I hit the ball, I hit the line umpire, the facts are very clear, but it wasn’t my intent, I didn’t do it on purpose, so I shouldn’t be defaulted for that',” said Friemel who explained how they came to their decision.

The Serbian tried to plead his case with the tournament officials but his efforts were in vain (JASON SZENES/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

"We all agreed that he didn’t do it on purpose but the facts are still that he hit the line umpire and that the line umpire was clearly hurt," he added. "Intent is part of the discussion but there are two factors, one is the action, and the result.

"And the action, why there was no intent, the result of hitting the line umpire and clearly being hurt is the essential factor in the decision-making process here. I don’t think we would have had this long-ish discussion if he had done it on purpose, but here both factors are taken into consideration.”

Djokovic issued an apology on social media after the incident and wrote: "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.

Novak Djokovic was fined after smashing his racket at Wimbledon earlier this year (Getty Images)

"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 added: "I apologise to the US Open tournament and everyone associated for my behaviour. 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."

Fast forward three years and Djokovic was in hot water with tennis bosses again. This time for smashing his racket during the incredible final with Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon.

Alcaraz would ultimately be victorious after five of the greatest sets in the sport's history, but Djokovic was sanctioned for "racket abuse" after losing his temper following losing a game.

Liam Llewellyn