World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, involuntarily knocked out by a spectator’s water bottle on Friday on the sidelines of the Masters 1000 in Rome, is “fine” and will be able to play his next match on Sunday, he said on Saturday on X (ex-Twitter).
“Thank you for your messages worrying about me. It was an accident and I’m fine, I’m resting in the hotel with an ice pack (on my head),” the Serb wrote in a message published during the night from Friday to Saturday.
“See you on Sunday,” he added, in reference to his scheduled 3rd round match against Chilean Alejandro Tabilo, 32nd in the world.
At the end of his entry into the Roman tournament, an easily won match against Frenchman Corentin Moutet 6-3, 6-1, Djokovic, 36, was the victim of an unusual accident.
While he was signing autographs to spectators located in the stands above him, he received a water bottle on his head that fell from the backpack of one of these spectators.
Under the violence of the shock, he fell to the ground, remained prostrate for long seconds, before regaining his senses and walking back to the locker room.
Organizers of the Masters 1000 in Rome later said Djokovic had an injury to the top of his head that required the use of surgical glue, but that he had not been taken to a hospital.
Djokovic did not participate in the traditional post-match press conference and returned to his hotel.
Even before this incident, the first part of 2024 was not favorable to “Djoko”: he is certainly still at the top of world tennis, but he is in the shadow of the new generation embodied by the Italian Jannik Sinner, winner of the Australian Open but absent in Rome due to injury.
The record holder for Grand Slam victories (24) has not won any titles this season and is chasing his optimal form less than three weeks before Roland-Garros (May 26-June 9).
