Novak Djokovic suffered an incident this Friday when leaving the center court of the Foro Italico in Rome, receiving the accidental impact of a bottle while signing autographs for fans after the victory against the Frenchman Corentin Moutet by 6-3 and 6-1, in 1h 24m. The world number one, who will turn 37 on the 22nd, was hit in the upper area of his head and collapsed on the floor of the tunnel that leads to the locker room, with visible gestures of pain. According to the EFE agency and a video that circulates on social networks, this is not an attack, but mere bad luck. One of the people demanding the Serbian tennis player’s attention leaned over, and the object slipped from the backpack.
A fan had a bottle in an external pocket of his backpack, and as he approached to ask Djokovic for an autograph, the bottle fell and hit the Serb. pic.twitter.com/KcPY2z7tuu
— Seventh Game (@Septimo_Game) May 10, 2024
According to the aforementioned agency, Djokovic was examined by the tournament’s medical services and did not receive stitches, as it was a superficial wound. The Balkan player left the hotel “dissatisfied” and did not offer the protocol press conference, but was later informed that there was no intention on the part of the fan. Nole, then, will face the Chilean Alejandro Tabilo, 26 years old and 32nd in the world, in the second season of the Roman tournament. The one from Belgrade sufficiently surpassed the controversial Moutet, who once again showed his bad manners with several ugly gestures – rackets, kicks and hits – and an extravagance, by having to go to the bench to stop the cell phone alarm in full action.
Djokovic had not competed since April 13, when he lost in the semifinals of the Monte Carlo Masters against the Norwegian Casper Ruud. After giving up the Madrid event, the Serbian is pursuing these days his seventh crown in the Italian capital, where he previously triumphed in 2008, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2020 and 2022. If he achieves it, he would achieve his 41st thousandand would reinforce its record in this category of tournaments, the second in importance after the big four. He and Rafael Nadal circulate on opposite sides of the draw, so they could not meet until a hypothetical final. The 37-year-old Spaniard will face Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz, ninth in the world, this Saturday (not before 1:00 p.m., Movistar+).
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