September 7, 2020 3:42:31 pm
Novak Djokovic attends to a linesman who was hit with a ball by Djokovic during a match against Pablo Carreño Busta of Spain at the 2020 US Open. Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY Sports / Reuters
After all the off-court controversies for Novak Djokovic in recent months, a misdemeanor on the court resulted in him. being breached at the US Open.
The fit world No. 1 was a huge favorite when he inadvertently hit a linesman in the throat by hitting a ball in his direction after losing serve to his Spanish opponent Pablo Carreño Busta.
Conspiracy theorists may say the harsh decision was a way for governing bodies to take revenge on him for forming a rival players’ association the day before the US Open, but the decision was taken seriously. And it’s something that even Tim Henman, the darling of British tennis, faced at Wimbledon in 1995.
Djokovic’s elimination from the competition has ensured that, for the first time since the 2014 US Open, a men’s individual Grand Slam champion now emerges for the first time. Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are not playing in the tournament.
What was the incident that led to Djokovic’s disqualification?
Djokovic was serving 5-5 in the first set and was broken at a crucial stage, which meant his opponent would be serving for the set in the next game.
Frustrated, as he walked back to the baseline, Djokovic took the ball in his pocket and without looking, hit it quite hard into the left corner. The ball hit the linesman in the neck, and immediately fell to the ground, grabbing onto the point of impact.
The Serbian superstar immediately raised his arm in apology and went to see the linesman. Chair umpire Aurélie Tourte followed, and tournament referee Soeren Friemel, and Grand Slam supervisor Andreas Egli were also called to the court.
After a 10-minute discussion, Friemel made the decision to suspend Djokovic. He later told reporters: “Based on the facts that the ball was hit angrily, recklessly; that it went straight to the throat of the linesman; Since the linesman was clearly injured and in pain, the decision was made that Novak should be suspended. “
Novak Djokovic of Serbia speaks to the referee after inadvertently hitting a linesman with a ball during the fourth round of the US Open tennis championship in New York. Djokovic missed the match. (AP Photo / Seth Wenig)
What do the rules say?
The USTA – organizers of the US Open – issued a statement: “In accordance with the Grand Slam regulations, following your actions of intentionally hitting a ball in a dangerous or reckless manner on the court or hitting a ball without regard , the US Open The tournament referee suspended Novak Djokovic from the 2020 US Open.
“Because of the breach, Djokovic will lose all qualifying points earned at the US Open and will be fined the prize money won in the tournament in addition to any or all fines imposed in connection with the criminal incident.”
A ‘breach’ is a rare punishment applied to players and can be carried out due to a single action or through a series of warnings (a fourth warning in the same match results in a breach) that includes verbal, ball, racket abuse, unsportsmanlike conduct and other infractions.
According to Section T of the ITF Grand Slam regulations, which deals with infringements by players on the spot, “The Referee, in consultation with the Chief Grand Slam Supervisor, may declare a breach for a single violation of this Code or in accordance with the Program Points Penalty established above.
“In all cases of non-compliance, the decision of the Referee in consultation with the Chief Grand Slam Supervisor will be final and unappealable. Any player who is in default as provided herein will lose all ranking points earned for that event in that tournament and may be fined up to the prize money won in the tournament, in addition to any or all other fines imposed in respect of to the offending incident. “
Djokovic’s action, regardless of whether it was intentional or not, fit the bill perfectly.
See this post on Instagram
This whole situation has left me really sad and empty. I checked the person on the lines and the tournament told me that thank God she was feeling fine. I’m so sorry that I caused you so much stress. So involuntary. So wrong. I will not reveal your name to respect your privacy. As for disqualification, I need to go back inside myself and work on my disappointment and turn all of this into a lesson for my growth and evolution as a player and a human being. I apologize to the @usopen tournament and all associates for my behavior. I am very grateful to my team and my family for being my great support, and to my fans for always being with me. Thank you and I am so sorry. Cela ova situacija me cini zaista tužnim i praznim. Proverio sam kako se oseca linijski sudija, i prema informacijama koje sam dobio, oseca se dobro, hvala Bogu. Njeno ime ne mogu da otkrijem zbog occupy njene privatnosti. Jako mi je žao što sam joj naneo takav stres. Nije bilo namerno. Bilo je pogrešno. Želim da ovo neprijatno iskustvo, diskvalifikaciju sa turnira, pretvorim u važnu životnu lekciju, kako bih nastavio da rastem i razvijam se kao covek, ali i teniser. Izvinjavam organized US Opena. Veoma sam zahvalan svom timu i porodici što mi pružaju snažnu Podšku, kao i mojim navijacima jer su uvek uz mene. Hvala vam i žao mi heh. Bio je ovo težak dan za sve.
What was Djokovic’s reaction?
On the court, Djokovic was heard pleading with the tournament referee not to breach it.
“You don’t have to go to the hospital for this,” he was heard saying. Are you going to choose a default value in this situation? My career, Grand Slam, is center stage. If he had gotten up right away … You have a penalty game, an established penalty, many options ”.
According to The Guardian, Djokovic left the site immediately after and returned to his rented accommodation, and gave no indication that he would return to the site to offer an explanation.
However, he issued a statement on social media shortly after.
“This whole situation has left me really sad and empty. I checked the person on the lines and the tournament told me thank God he feels good, ”Djokovic said in an Instagram post.
“Regarding disqualification, I need to go back inside myself and work on my disappointment and turn all of this into a lesson for my growth and evolution as a player and a human being.
“I apologize to the US Open tournament and all associates for my behavior. I am very grateful to my team and my family for being my great support, and to my fans for always being with me. Thank you and I’m very sorry. “
Have other players defaulted in the past?
Yes. There have been some.
* Tim Henman was defaulted during the 1995 Wimbledon Championship after he hit a ball into the net in anger after losing a point, and inadvertently hit a ball that had been running into the venue in the process.
* Current world No. 17 Denis Shapovalov missed a Davis Cup rubber against Great Britain in January 2017 after attempting to throw a ball into the stands, but accidentally hit the chair umpire directly, who received a blow to the eye.
* In the 2016 ATP Istanbul final, Grigor Dimitrov missed his match after breaking all his rackets, handing the title to Diego Schwartzman of Argentina.
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Has Djokovic been accused of dangerous behavior in the past?
Yes of course.
In the 2016 French Open quarterfinals against Tomas Berdych, angry about missing a break opportunity, Djokovic tossed his racket back without looking, nearly hitting one of the linesmen.
At the ATP Tour Finals the same year, in a match against Dominic Thiem, Djokovic hit a ball in the stands. Later, during the press conference when asked about the incident, he said: “It is not a problem for me. This is not the first time I do it “.
None of the incidents resulted in non-compliance.
It’s been controversial off the pitch too, hasn’t it?
In preparation for the US Open, he resigned his position as chairman of the ATP Council and, just two days before the Grand Slam, launched an association of rival players.
During the raging Covid-19 pandemic, it hosted the Adria Tour charity event in Belgrade and Zadar, allowing crowds to reach places without social distancing or established safety protocols. The players also participated in friendly basketball and soccer matches.
The event had to be canceled after four players, including Djokovic himself, tested positive for the new coronavirus.
He had also raised his eyebrows when he claimed that dirty water could be purified simply with “positive thoughts.” His wife Jelena also claimed that the virus could spread through 5G internet speeds.
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