"Today I came prepared"- Novak Djokovic hilariously wears a helmet while interacting with fans at Italian Open a day after freak bottle accident
Novak Djokovic was seen in a cheerful mood at the ongoing Italian Open as he made his way to interact with the fans. The Serb was seen arriving while wearing a helmet in the aftermath of a freak bottle accident that took place on Friday.
Djokovic faced Corentin Moutet of France in the second round of the Italian Open. This match marked Djokovic's return to the tennis court after his semifinal loss at the Monte-Carlo Masters. Facing off against Moutet, the World No.1 was at his best as he dispatched his opponent in straight sets while conceding just 4 games.
After the match, Djokovic walked towards the fans and began giving out autographs. As one of the fans bent down to reach the player, the bottle in his backpack slipped and fell, hitting Djokovic on his head.
The Serb looked in pain, but fortunately, no serious harm was done as he was cleared after the routine checks at a nearby medical center.
A day later, Djokovic was spotted arriving at the center courts wearing a helmet. In a humorous tone, the Serb remarked that he was ready to give his fans his autographs after taking necessary precautions. Posting a video on his X (formerly Twitter) handle, he wrote:
"Today I came prepared. #IBI24"
Novak Djokovic is slated to face Alejandro Tabilo in the next round at the Italian Open.
"Thank you for the messages of concern"- Novak Djokovic thanks his fans for good wishes after the freak water bottle accident.
Djokovic thanked his fans who sent well-wishing messages after the Serb met with the freak accident. Furthermore, to relieve his fans, Djokovic posted on his Twitter account that there was nothing of major concern and that the Serb would be fully fit for his next match on Sunday.
Thank you for the messages of concern. This was an accident and I am fine resting at the hotel with an ice pack. See you all on Sunday," he wrote on his X (formerly Twitter) account.
The tournament authorities were determined to conduct a formal investigation into the matter to find the person responsible. Talking about the incident, Alessandro Catapano, the spokesman for the Italian Tennis Federation, said (as quoted by Associated Press):
"The police came and asked for information but the person who did it had already left. We’re going through all of the video and camera angles to see if we can determine what exactly happened.”
Djokovic is vying for a seventh title at Rome, having won the tournament on six previous occasions. He last won the tournament in 2022 by defeating Stefanos Tsistipas in the final.