Djokovic was signing autographs for fans when a water bottle fell out of a spectator’s backpack and hit him on the head. The bottle initially appeared to have been thrown from the stands, but it soon became clear that it was a freak accident when footage emerged on social media.
It caused Djokovic to fall to the ground in pain before he was attended to by a security guard and checked over by medics in the locker room. He took to X, formerly Twitter, to offer an update as he said: “Thank you for the messages of concern. This was an accident and I am fine resting at the hotel with an ice pack. See you all on Sunday.”
The Italian Open issued a statement to confirm that organisers were not treating the incident as a deliberate attack on Djokovic, saying: “Novak Djokovic has been accidentally hit by a bottle while signing autographs after his 6-3 6-1 win against France’s Corentin Moutet at the Italian Open.
“This is not being treated as a deliberate act, but as an accident. A boy was calling out to get an autograph and the bottle fell out of his bag. [Djokovic] underwent appropriate medication and has already left the Foro Italico to return to his hotel. His condition is not a cause for concern.”
Djokovic was broken by Moutet in his first two service games but recovered from his slow start to secure a comfortable victory. He won five of the next six games to claim the opening set before turning the screw in the second as Moutet grew increasingly frustrated.
The Frenchman was given a warning by umpire Carlos Bernardes for kicking the net, while he was also reprimanded for throwing his racket on several occasions. Djokovic went on to finish the job without too much difficulty to set up a third-round meeting with Chilean hopeful Alejandro Tabilo.
Elsewhere at the Italian Open, Katie Boulter was knocked out in the second round after a 6-4 7-6 defeat to Slovakian qualifier Rebecca Sramkova. In the men’s doubles, Jamie Murray and Michael Venus secured a 6-4 6-3 victory over Lloyd Glasspool and Jean-Julien Rojer to reach the next round.
