[ad_1]
NEW YORK: Novak Djokovic will have to get used to being the “bad boy” after his disqualification from the US Open for hitting a linesman with a ball, American great John McEnroe said.
The world number one was missed 5-6 down in the first set of his match against Pablo Carreño Busta on Sunday (September 6) after a frustrated ball hit an official in the throat.
The 33-year-old Serbian posted an apology on Instagram, promising to learn valuable lessons that would help his “growth and evolution as a player and a human being.”
McEnroe, whose own behavior often got him in trouble with referees during his playing career, said Djokovic had collapsed under the pressure.
“The pressure just got on him. I think a lot has happened off the pitch,” McEnroe, who was disqualified in the fourth round of the 1990 Australian Open, told ESPN after receiving three code violations.
“Obviously it has affected him and whether he likes it or not, he will be the bad guy for the rest of his career.”
“If he accepts that role, I think he could recover. He has many things going for him, but this is a stain he will not be able to erase.”
After the premature end of his bid for an 18th Grand Slam, Djokovic left the field without attending a press conference and McEnroe, a four-time US Open champion, said the Serb should have faced the music rather than apologize in social networks.
“You have to be a man. It didn’t make sense to me. In the past I’ve seen him take responsibility when he ruined it. In this case, he makes it even worse,” he said.
“So what if you apologize on Twitter? It’s not enough.”
