"I felt really sorry to cause the drama to her, she didn’t deserve that" - When Novak Djokovic apologized for hitting lineswoman after US Open default
In a shocking development during the 2020 US Open, Novak Djokovic was defaulted after accidentally hitting a line judge in the throat. The Serb apologized for hurting the lineswoman after the controversial incident, emphasizing that it wasn't his intention to harm her.
Djokovic appeared in top form at the New York Major that year, breezing into the Round of 16. However, his campaign was derailed during his fourth-round clash against Pablo Carreno Busta. The duo engaged in a closely contested battle, with Carreno Busta securing a crucial break of serve to take a 6-5 lead in the opening set.
Visibly frustrated, the Serb struck a ball without looking, which inadvertently hit lineswoman Laura Clark. As Clark fell to the ground while clutching her throat, Djokovic rushed to check on her. He then engaged in a discussion with the tournament referee and was handed a shock default from the Major.
Novak Djokovic skipped the post-match press conference, despite the $7,500 fine. He finally addressed reporters on his return to the tour at the Italian Open and apologized for the "shock and drama" he caused the lineswoman.
"There were a lot of speculations and discussions whether it was deserved or not. I accepted it and I moved on. I checked on Laura after the match; she said that she was fine, no big injuries. I felt really sorry to cause the shock and drama to her. She didn’t deserve that in any way," he said.
The Serb also clarified that the hit was entirely unintentional, but acknowledged that striking the ball carelessly always carried the risk of injuring someone.
"It was totally unexpected and very unintended to hit her. But as I said, when you hit the ball like that, as I hit it, you have a chance to hit somebody that is on the court, and the rules are clear when it comes to that. I don’t think I’ll ever forget about it, because it’s one of these things that stays in your memory for the rest of your life," he added.
Novak Djokovic on US Open 2020 default: "It was very hard for me to accept... I was shaken by the whole thing"
During the same press conference, Novak Djokovic disclosed that it was initially difficult for him to accept his disqualification from the 2020 US Open, admitting that he was "shaken" by the ordeal.
"It was very hard for me to accept that right after it happened. For a couple of days I was in shock. I was shaken by the whole thing," he said.
The Serb also acknowledged that he was prone to "outbursts" but emphasized his determination to learn from this incident and do his best to ensure that he never repeated such behavior in the future.
"I cannot promise or I cannot guarantee I will never ever do anything similar to that in my life. I’m definitely going to try my best that something like that never happens again but anything is possible so I’m going to take this as profoundly as possible as a big lesson," he added.
Djokovic bounced back strongly from the incident at the Italian Open, claiming a 7-5, 6-3 win over Diego Schwartzman in the final to clinch his 36th ATP Masters 1000 title.