Djokovic DQ displays US Open’s disgraceful double standards as angry SJW ‘wokeness’ is celebrated but aggression admonished
READ MORE: ‘So unintended. So wrong’: Djokovic apologizes for hitting line judge with ball after US Open disqualification
Novak Djokovic is probably used to his forehand being the talk of the sports world. Such is his supreme skill, that goes doubly so when it’s responsible for costing the men’s world number one his place at a Grand Slam. But Djokovic has never before faced a furore like the current media brouhaha that followed his default from the US Open for accidentally striking a line judge with a ball.
Trailing Spaniard Pablo Carreño Busta 5-6 in their round of 16 match at the Arthur Ashe stadium in Flushing Meadows on Sunday, Djokovic, dissatisfied at his sub-par performance, gently launched a ball backwards, only for it to strike a line judge on the throat.
At first, it was difficult to tell who was more horrified: Djokovic, whose face was a contorted caricature of terror behind an outstretched arm trying in vain to claw the ball back on its trajectory; or the eventual target, whose dramatic, comical fall looked more suited to the Oscars than the US Open. The official was left in a heap, and a perfect 26-match record to start the season was left in tatters, but Djokovic was unreservedly apologetic after the event.
“This whole situation has left me really sad and empty. I checked on the lines person and the tournament told me that, thank God, she is feeling OK. I‘m extremely sorry to have caused her such stress,” the 33-year-old wrote on Instagram.
“So unintended. So wrong. I’m not disclosing her name to respect her privacy. As for the disqualification, I need to go back within and work on my disappointment and turn this all into a lesson for my growth and evolution as a player and human being.
“I apologize to the US Open tournament and everyone associated for my behavior. I’m very grateful to my team and family for being my rock support, and my fans for always being there with me. Thank you and I’m so sorry.”
Although the line judge’s fall drew Djokovic over in an attempt to heal the wounds of the dying swan, the damage had been done, and the Serb was unceremoniously slung out for ‘aggressive behaviour’, being left to face a cascade of moral posturing in the media over a display of the most basic of human emotions.