New York: In an unfortunate moment, World No.1 Novak Djokovic has to exit the US Open after he was defaulted as a ball he struck had hit the line judge in the throat.
The incident happened after Djokovic went 5-6 down in the first set against Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta. He apparently hit a ball in the direction of the female judge and it struck on her throat. Djokovic immediately rushed to check on her after the line judge was hit and apologised for his mistake.
“This whole situation has left me really sad and empty. I checked on the lines person and the tournament told me that thank God she is feeling ok. I‘m extremely sorry to have caused her such stress. So unintended. So wrong. I’m not disclosing her name to respect her privacy. As for the disqualification, I need to go back within and work on my disappointment and turn this all into a lesson for my growth and evolution as a player and human being. I apologize to the @usopen tournament and everyone associated for my behavior. I’m very grateful to my team and family for being my rock support, and my fans for always being there with me. Thank you and I’m so sorry,” he wrote on Instagram.
