"This should tell you Novak Djokovic is finished";"Who the hell is advising him?" - Fans react to Serb's concerned comments after Italian Open loss
Novak Djokovic recently hinted that getting hit by a water bottle could have impacted his performance against Alejandro Tabilo. The Serb witnessed a shocking exit from the 2024 Italian Open after losing to Alejandro Tabilo 6-2, 6-3 in the third round.
Djokovic was accidentally hit by a water bottle after his win against Corentin Moutet in the second round. The unfortunate incident happened when the Serb was signing autographs for fans. He immediately fell in pain and was on the ground for some time. The Serb was left with a bump and some blood as a result.
During a press conference after the match, Djokovic answered a question about this incident. The Serbian admitted he wasn't sure if getting struck by a bottle in the third round affected his performance.
"I don't know, to be honest. I have to check that. Training was different. I was going for kind of easy training yesterday. I didn't feel anything, but I also didn't feel the same. Today under high stress, it was quite bad - not in terms of pain, but in terms of this balance. Just no coordination. Completely different player from what it was two nights ago. Could be. I don't know. I have to do medical checkups and see what's going on," Djokovic said.
The concerning statements later got the fans to shower their reactions on X (formerly Twitter). One fan said the Serb won't win the upcoming Roland Garros.
"This should tell you Djokovic is finished, Sinner, Alcaraz and probably Rune will win Rolland Garros"
Another set of fans raised concern citing the concussion protocol.
"You mean to to tell me he was never evaluated for concussion!?!? How TF is this possible??? Concussion was OBVIOUSLY the #1 concern to begin with given nausea & headaches that were reported. Who the hell is advising him? Jesus Christ man!" a fan wrote, highlighting the ideal treatment that was supposed to be given to Djokovic.
Other sports have "concussion protocols". If you have concussion symptoms in the NFL, you can't play. Do tennis authorities have no such thing? #Djokovic probably suffered a concussion (a serious injury). Did anybody test him? Or did they put him at risk of further damage? Another fan cited.
A few fans were still upbeat after learning about Djokovic's statements.
Still 3 slams and Olympics to come. I still believe he’ll peak when it matters," a fan remarked.
"An object like a water bottle hitting one’s head from a height may not cause serious damage but can result in headaches, nausea & coordination issues. Rest, good sleep & time will help #Novak recover," a fan wished the World No. 1.
"Clearly wasn’t right today…" a fan said.
Djokovic revealed the implications of the injury
Djokovic was questioned about his experiences after being struck by the water bottle and asked to elaborate. In response, the Serb said it resulted in a variety of symptoms such as nausea, vertigo, bleeding and other issues.
"It was unexpected obviously. I wasn't even looking up. Then I felt a very strong hit in the head. That has, yeah, really impacted me a lot. After that I got the medical care. Been through half an hour, an hour of nausea, dizziness, blood, a lot of different things. I managed to sleep okay. I had headaches," Djokovic said.
After the startling exit, the World No. 1 will play the 2024 Roland Garros where he is the defending champion. He defeated Casper Ruud in last year's final.