Novak Djokovic faced a close call at the Australian Open when he almost hit a ball kid with a frustrated shot during his match against Botic van de Zandschulp. The incident occurred towards the end of the second set, with the ball narrowly missing the crouched ball girl by just a few inches.
Had the ball struck the youngster, umpire John Blom would have been left with no choice but to disqualify Djokovic, a consequence the Serbian player experienced during the 2020 US Open for hitting a line judge with a ball. Djokovic promptly apologized and continued with the match, ultimately winning in straight sets as he seeks his 11th Australian Open title.
Former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash commented on the incident, noting the speed and proximity of the ball to the ball kid, emphasizing that Djokovic was fortunate not to be defaulted. Djokovic himself acknowledged his luck in winning the match in straight sets and attributed his success to his opponent’s arm struggles during the game.
Looking ahead, Djokovic expressed optimism about his performance in the tournament, highlighting the importance of staying focused and avoiding premature excitement, especially considering past experiences of injuries at crucial stages of Grand Slam events. Despite acknowledging the exceptional skill of younger players like Alcaraz and Sinner, Djokovic remains determined to compete and challenge them on the court.
At Reach and its affiliated platforms, user data is collected for site improvement and personalized advertising. Users can manage data sharing preferences by adjusting settings on the website. Acceptance of cookie usage and privacy policies is implied by accessing the website and its services.