Novak Djokovic I didn’t get a chance this weekend.
of Serbian tennis star On Saturday, he appeared at Rome’s Foro Italico wearing a bicycle helmet, smiling and signing autographs for fans.
Novak Djokovic of Serbia participates in a training session during the men’s ATP Rome Open tennis tournament at Foro Italico in Rome, May 11, 2024. (Tiziana Fabi/AFP via Getty Images)
“I came into today fully prepared,” he said in a social media post.
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The decision to wear protective equipment came after horrific scenes at the Italian Open the previous day.
After his 6-3, 6-1 victory over French qualifier Corentin Moutet, Djokovic stopped to sign autographs for fans as he was leaving the clay court. At that moment, an aluminum water bottle fell from the crowd above, hitting Djokovic directly on the top of his head.
He fell to the ground and appeared to hold his head for several minutes before finally exiting the court.
Novak Djokovic of Serbia reacts during his men’s singles second round match against Corentin Moutet (France) on the fifth day of Internazionali BNL d’Italia 2024 held at Foro Italico in Rome, Italy on May 10, 2024. (Gianpiero Sposito/Getty Images)
Novak Djokovic injured after bottle falls on his head while signing autograph
“Novak Djokovic was struck on the head by a water bottle as he was leaving Center Court after the match and was signing autographs. He received medical treatment and has already left the Foro Italico and returned to his hotel. His condition. “This is not a cause for concern,” organizers said in a statement.
Djokovic released his own statement to X calling the incident an “accident.”
“Thank you for your message of concern. This was an accident. I’ll be fine resting at the hotel with an ice pack. I’ll see you on Sunday.”
Novak Djokovic of Serbia participates in a training session during the men’s ATP Rome Open tennis tournament at Foro Italico in Rome, May 11, 2024. (Tiziana Fabi/AFP via Getty Images)
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Tournament organizers later shared a video revealing that the incident was caused by a fan who had bent over to greet Djokovic. Video showed a water bottle falling from the backpack he was carrying as he leaned against the stand.
Despite the circumstances, the 36-year-old Djokovic appeared to be in good spirits as he arrived at a sports facility in Rome on Saturday. He won his first match Friday after nearly a month off.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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