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One of the savages of tennis history, John McEnroe, believes that Novak Djokovic must live with the stamp that one carries for the rest of his career after the US Open scandal.
Novak Djokovic begged the referee not to be sent off, but to no avail. Seth Wenig / AP / NTB scanpix.
Big favorite Djokovic was thrown headlong at the US Open after, in frustration, he hit a ball directly into the throat of a linesman. The battle was unintentional, but the rules remain crystal clear: Djokovic was disqualified on the spot.
Later, Djokovic lay down and apologized, but on the court he argued with the referee about the decision and claimed it was an overreaction. – You don’t even have to go to the hospital, he said about the linesman.
– The pressure took him away, I think. I think a lot has happened on and off the pitch. It has obviously affected him, and like it or not, he will be the bad guy for the rest of his career. It will be exciting to see how he handles it, legend John McEnroe tells ESPN.
Djokovic checks the line referee who was hit. Seth Wenig / AP
– You must accept the role
McEnroe knows what he’s talking about and has been banned from many tournaments. In 1990, he was expelled from the Australian Open Grand Slam tournament for verbal abuse by the referee.
– I don’t think I can’t go back. If you accept this role, I think you can hit back. He is chasing history and trying to get past Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. He’s younger and has a lot in his way, but he won’t get rid of this stain, says McEnroe.
Despite the badge, McEnroe won seven Grand Slam titles in his career.
Djokovic reacts after hitting the linesman. Seth Wenig / AP
Crown problems
One who has been in the same situation as Djokovic is Denis Shapovalov, 21, who advanced to the US Open on Sunday. He hit a referee with a frustrated punch in Davis Cup in 2017.
– It’s a shame for everyone involved. I’ve been in that situation, so I know how Novak is doing. Of course he had no intention of meeting her. Thank goodness it’s okay, it could have gone really, really bad, says Shapovalov.
Djokovic has also had bad weather earlier this year, after hosting a show tournament in the middle of the crown era. This led to the spread of the infection and Djokovic received harsh criticism.
