Novak Djokovic has been shockingly disqualified from the US Open.
The series winner of the Grand Slam was missed during his fourth-round match against Pablo Carreño Busta after hitting one of the linesmen with the ball.
Djokovic’s exit from the competition against his Spanish opponent would have been a shock alone, although he lost the first set 6-5, but no one could have predicted a total disqualification.
Djokovic defaulted at the US Open
During a pause in play, Djokovic pulled a ball out of his pocket and casually hit it towards the linesman with an under swing, sending the woman to the ground after it hit her throat.
Other officials quickly came to his aid on the court, and replays showed Djokovic instantly apologizing, raising questions about whether the incident was an accident or not.
For all intents and purposes, it appears that the Serb did not intend to hit the linesman, although many of his detractors on social media have called him ‘smug’ about the episode.
What the rules say
Regardless of his motives, however, the rules are the rules and Djokovic’s undefeated record in 2020 has come to an ignominious end in his own hands compared to a rival player’s.
The Grand Slam regulations explain: “Players shall not physically abuse at any time any official, opponent, spectator or other person within the venue of the tournament site.
“The referee, in consultation with the Grand Slam chief supervisors, may declare a foul for a single violation of this code.”
Incident footage
With that said, we’ll let you be the judges, so watch the shocking moment below:
According to the BBC, Tim Henman said of the incident: “It happened to me in 1995. We were up in straight sets in the doubles. I hit a ball in the ear.
“Djokovic was not targeting the linesman, but you have to be responsible for your actions. There is no other result than non-compliance.”
The incident means that we will have a new Grand Slam champion at Flushing Meadows with players like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal absent from the tournament.
It is the first time in 16 years that neither Djokovic, Federer or Nadal will be present in a Grand Slam semi-final, dating back to Roland Garros 2004.
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