Nearly three hours after Novak Djokovic was sensationally – but correctly – disqualified from the 2020 US Open for hitting a ball at a line judge, he took to Instagram to apologise for his actions.
“This whole situation has left me really sad and empty,” Djokovic wrote. “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.”
The Serbian continued, “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 US Open tournament and everyone associated for my behaviour.”
“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.”
Every player is required to attend a post-match press conference. They can be fined if they decide to skip it. And after he was defaulted, Djokovic left the US Open site without fulfilling his media obligations.
In doing so, the Serbian declined the first opportunity he had to take responsibility for his recklessness. Perhaps that is why he swiftly released a statement on social media.
Djokovic default leaves draw wide open
This is an extraordinary story that may unfortunately overshadow everything that happens in the rest of the 2020 US Open.
However, it also represents a massive opportunity for every player still in the draw. With Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal absent, Djokovic was the overwhelming favourite to win. He was yet to lose a competitive match all season before today’s incident and it seemed almost inevitable that he would go on and claim the title.
Then the Serbian let his anger get the better of him and everything changed. There are some obvious candidates who could take advantage. 2019 US Open finalist Daniil Medvedev is in the running, as are three-time Grand Slam finalist Dominic Thiem and 2018 ATP World Tour Finals champion Alexander Zverev. But it could be someone else entirely. After all, who can predict anything accurately in this crazy year?
