ROME — Novak Djokovic wanted medical consideration after unintentionally getting knocked on the pinnacle by a water bottle after a win on the Italian Open on Friday.
A person was leaning over the railing handy Djokovic a pocket book for a signature, and an aluminum-type water bottle fell out of his backpack and hit the top-ranked participant on the highest of his head.
After getting hit, Djokovic positioned each of his palms on his head after which curled up on the bottom as a safety guard shielded him. Then he was helped down the tunnel into the locker room.
Djokovic had a bump on his head and he was checked by docs, event organizers stated. He didn’t maintain his typical postmatch information convention.
“Whereas leaving middle courtroom after his match, Novak Djokovic was hit on the pinnacle by a water bottle whereas signing autographs. He obtained medical consideration and has already left the Foro Italico to return to his resort. His situation shouldn’t be a trigger for concern,” organizers stated in a press release.
Djokovic had a little bit of blood on his head however didn’t require stitches, Italian Tennis Federation spokesman Alessandro Catapano stated.
“Nole was taken to his resort and he appears OK. He was upset, however he appears OK,” Catapano stated. “We’re very upset about what occurred and we try to determine who it was and perceive the dynamics.
“The police got here and requested for info however the one that did it had already left,” Catapano added. “We’re going by way of all the video and digicam angles to see if we will decide what precisely occurred.”
Later Friday, Djokovic took to social media to say he’s wonderful.
“Thanks for the messages of concern. This was an accident and I’m wonderful resting on the resort with an ice pack. See you all on Sunday,” he wrote on X.
The incident occurred shortly after Djokovic’s 6-3, 6-1 win over French qualifier Corentin Moutet in his opening match.
Djokovic took a short time to get moving into his first match in practically a month, however he cleaned up his recreation after dropping his first two service video games.
“I have never practiced with a lefty shortly, so it took me a bit of little bit of time to regulate to the completely different rotation on the balls,” Djokovic stated. “The primary 4 video games have been fairly dangerous for me … however then I performed effectively.”
The highest-ranked Djokovic hadn’t performed since he misplaced to Casper Ruud within the Monte Carlo Masters semifinals April 13. The 24-time Grand Slam champion is with no title this yr — the primary time he has reached Might with no trophy since 2018, when he was getting back from a proper elbow harm.
However Rome, the place he’s a six-time champion, is one among Djokovic’s favourite tournaments. It is also the place Djokovic is making an attempt to step up his recreation on clay earlier than making an attempt to defend his title on the French Open, which begins Might 26.
Djokovic produced 21 winners to Moutet’s 13 and had 13 unforced errors to his opponent’s 20. Exhibiting a willingness to return ahead, Djokovic gained 18 of twenty-two factors on the web.
“Corentin is a really proficient participant. He has nice palms and really unpredictable. You do not know what comes up subsequent. So I needed to keep targeted, which I did,” Djokovic stated. “So it is a good opening match.”
Within the first recreation of the second set, the alarm on Moutet’s telephone started ringing, prompting him to run over and seize it out of his bag. He jokingly held the telephone as much as his ear as if he was answering a name, drawing laughter from the group and a smile from Djokovic. The 83rd-ranked Frenchman then held up his arms to apologize for the interruption.
Djokovic improved to 18-0 in his opening matches in Rome. He’ll subsequent face Twenty ninth-seeded Alejandro Tabilo.
Report 10-time Rome champion Rafael Nadal is within the different half of the draw.
Additionally advancing in second-round matches have been 2017 Rome champion Alexander Zverev, Grigor Dimitrov and Ben Shelton, whereas Nuno Borges eradicated Fifteenth-seeded Alexander Bublik 6-4, 6-4.
Lorenzo Musetti retired after dropping the primary set to French qualifier Terence Atmane due to a abdomen virus, leaving host Italy with out three huge gamers. Jannik Sinner withdrew earlier than the event with an injured hip, and Matteo Berrettini pulled out Wednesday following a sequence of bodily points.
Within the girls’s event, defending champion Elena Rybakina withdrew earlier than her opening match in opposition to Irina-Camelia Begu due to sickness.
“Sadly I don’t really feel effectively sufficient to compete,” the fourth-ranked Rybakina stated. “I’ve such good recollections from final yr and was wanting ahead to defending my title.”
Sofia Kenin eradicated eighth-seeded Ons Jabeur 7-5, 2-6, 6-4, whereas Maria Sakkari, Jelena Ostapenko and Danielle Collins every superior.
Info from The Related Press was used on this report.