An act of frustration at the US Open cost Novak Djokovic the quarter-finals. He is remorseful on Instagram.
The US Open is over for tennis star Novak Djokovic (33). After losing a service game in the round of 16 on Sunday, the 33-year-old knocked a ball away in frustration and accidentally hit a linesman. The woman fell to the ground and then obviously had difficulty breathing. The result: Djokovic was disqualified from the tournament.
The world number one has meanwhile commented on the incident on Instagram: "This whole situation leaves me really sad and empty. (…) I'm very sorry that I (the linesman, editor's note. ) caused such stress. So unintentionally. So wrong, "are the remorseful words of the professional athlete. He also writes that the disqualification is a "lesson" for him. "I apologize to everyone involved in the US Open tournament for my behavior. I thank my team and family for supporting me and my fans for being with me. Thank you and I'm so sorry" , Djokovic finishes his post.
Support from Boris Becker
In addition to his family and fans, Djokovic also received support from tennis legend Boris Becker (52), who coached him from 2013 to 2016. "Brother, you made a mistake today and paid the most expensive price for a tennis player. You were rightly excluded from your match," wrote the 52-year-old in an Instagram post. "You publicly apologized to the line woman, the participants in the US Open and everyone who loves you. Nobody is perfect and sometimes we all forget that," Becker emphasizes.
Djokovic was considered a big favorite at the US Open. But his action brought the world number one to the quarter-finals – and thus to the title in New York.