The entire tennis world was enraged when Novak Djokovic was hit by a water bottle on his head. Initially, fans were convinced that a Djokovic detractor maliciously let out the bottle from his grasp as the World No.1 was handing out his autographs on Friday. However, that myth was debunked as more angles of the video emerged, which proved that the metal bottle fell from an enthusiastic fan’s bag.
Fans were understandably worried as the Djoker’s wound was bleeding. Eventually, a few hours after the incident occurred, the 24-time Grand Slam winner took to X, giving a health update.
“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,” Djokovic updated on X.
After that though, Djokovic jokingly arrived outside the arena wearing a cyclist’s helmet on Saturday. Stating that he came “prepared”, he wasn’t going to let another accident prevent him from trying to lift the Italian Open 2024. The World No.1 left his fans in splits and again showcased his light-hearted side again.
As soon as the clip of the same went viral, social media erupted with reactions.
For a large part of his career, Novak Djokovic was criticized and regarded as a ‘villain’. To his credit, the World No.1 did embrace the role to the fullest. However, over the past few years, the 24-time Grand Slam champion has displayed a new side of him.
This side is far more jovial due to which he has also received a lot more support from the media as well. Hilarious moments like these are much needed in tennis, a sport which is anyway difficult for players and can produce different opinions among fans.
But Novak Djokovic is not the only player to have had a slip up in the Italian Open. For the first time, the Serb as well as his rival, Rafael Nadal were the talking points due to some whacky moments in the same arena.
Like Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal Had an ‘Accident’ During the Italian Open 2024
While Novak Djokovic was hit on the head after his encounter was over, Rafael Nadal suffered a scary fall in the middle of a point. During his opening-round encounter against Zizou Bergs, Nadal seemed to have tripped. Everyone present at the Centre Court of the Foro Italico skipped a heartbeat.
However, showing his physicality and reflexes again, the 22-time Grand Slam winner quickly bounced back and even ended up winning a point.
Rafael Nadal also took a hard fall in the first set during his second-round duel against Hubert Hurkacz. This time, the Spaniard lost the point and seemed to be upset at the official. Eventually, Nadal had to bid farewell to the Italian Open 2024, as he suffered a 1-6, 3-6 loss to the Polish star.
