Novak Djokovic DQ’d from U.S. Open after hitting line judge with ball
Novak Djokovic is out of the U.S. Open after a stunning scene on Sunday, opening a Grand Slam to a new winner for the first time in years. Djokovic drilled a ball off the court after falling behind in the first set and hit a line judge in the neck. Officials ruled that Djokovic defaulted, eliminating him from the tournament.
Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have won every Grand Slam since 2017; including Stan Wawrinka, no other player has won a Grand Slam since 2014. Djokovic was the only one of those players participating in the U.S. Open.
Most U.S. Open matches this year have been played without line judges to reduce personnel in the pandemic, but matches on the main court have had line judges.
Djokovic hit the ball in clear frustration after getting broken by Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain in the first set. “She doesn’t have to go to the hospital for this,” he argued with officials, according to tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg. “You’re going to choose a default in this situation?”
