Two days after a water bottle fell on his head, Novak Djokovic suffered a straight-sets loss at the Italian Open and said afterwards that he feels like a “different player.”
World No. 29 Alejandro Tabilo claimed a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Djokovic on Sunday, sending the world’s No. 1 player to an early round of 32 exit and stunning the Rome crowd.
After the loss, Djokovic told reporters that he was still feeling the effects of the water bottle impact, which he said caused “nausea, dizziness and blood” immediately afterward.
“It was unexpected, obviously,” Djokovic said on Sunday. “I wasn’t even looking up. Then I felt a very strong blow on the head. That really hit me hard…
“I spent half an hour, an hour with nausea and dizziness and blood and a lot of different things. I managed to sleep well. I had headaches. The next day, or yesterday, I was pretty good. So I thought, you know, okay.”
Djokovic on the bottle incident and his performance in the loss to Alejandro Tabilo
“It’s as if a different player had stepped into my shoes, without rhythm, without tempo, without any balance in any shot. So, it’s a little worrying.”
: ATP Media pic.twitter.com/t99b7ym8gn
— TennisONE App (@TennisONEApp) May 12, 2024
He went on to describe his condition as “concerning” and said he felt like a different player on the court Sunday afternoon.
“Maybe it’s okay,” Djokovic continued. “Maybe it’s not. The way I felt on the court today was completely different: it’s like a different player had stepped into my shoes. No rhythm, no tempo, no balance whatsoever on any shot. So it’s a little worrying”.
Water bottle fell directly on Djokovic’s head
The water bottle incident took place on Friday when Djokovic left the court following his 6-3, 6-1 victory over Corentin Moutet. He stopped in the tunnel to sign autographs for fans and a water bottle fell from the stands onto his head.
Another angle showed the bottle coming out of a fan’s backpack as he leaned in for Djokovic’s attention.
Djokovic grabbed his head and then knelt on the court after the impact. They then helped him through the tunnel and back to the locker room. He later tweeted that he was “fine” and resting with an ice pack at his hotel.
Thanks for the messages of concern. This was an accident and I’m fine resting at the hotel with an ice pack. See you all on Sunday. #IBI24
—Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) May 10, 2024
On Saturday, he arrived in good spirits on his day off from the tournament, jokingly wearing a cycling helmet as he greeted fans and signed autographs.
Their level of concern took on a different tone after Sunday’s loss. He will now have two weeks of rest before the start of the French Open main draw on May 26 in pursuit of his 25th Grand Slam title.