- Novak Djokovic was hit by a water bottle after winning his first match at the Italian Open.
- The world number one was signing autographs when the object appeared to have been thrown at him
- After being hit, Djokovic was cradled on the ground before being helped away.
Novak Djokovic required medical treatment after being hit by a bottle while signing autographs for fans at the Italian Open.
In his first match since being eliminated from the Monte Carlo Masters in the semifinals last month, Djokovic faced Frenchman Corentin Moutet on Center Court.
After facing some early adversity in a slow start, the 36-year-old bounced back to comfortably beat Moutet, earning a 6-3, 6-1 victory in Rome to set up a showdown with Alejandro Tabilo on Sunday.
As he walked off the court and down the tunnel after the match, Djokovic stopped to sign a fan’s cap.
As he did so, a video shared online showed a water bottle falling from the stand next to him and hitting him on the head with some force.
Novak Djokovic was hit by a water bottle after defeating Corentin Moutet at the Italian Open on Friday.
The bottle is said to have accidentally fallen out of the bag of a fan who was trying to get an autograph.
The world number one will face 29th seed Alejandro Tabilo in the third round on Sunday.
The world number one was left curled up on the ground for some time after being hit, before officials led him inside as fans could be heard asking where the missile had come from.
However, a second angle of the incident shows a water bottle falling from a fan’s backpack as he bends down to have the Serbian star sign his autograph, before it hits Djokovic on the top of his head.
The person whose backpack falls out appears surprised in the clip, immediately stands up and moves away from the edge of the tunnel to avoid any further mishaps.
The tennis icon is then attended to by a staff member who was standing behind him, and tournament management later released a version of the second video, stressing that the incident was an accident and that Djokovic was recovering well.
“Novak Djokovic, when leaving Center Court at the end of his match, was accidentally hit on the head with a water bottle while signing autographs for spectators,” reads a statement from the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.
‘He received the corresponding medication and has already left the Foro Italico to return to his hotel; his condition is no cause for concern.’
In response to the shocking clip, one fan wrote on social media: ‘Oh….. ban these guys ASAP if it was intentional. It seems that he fell without knowing it. Stay safe and strong Nole’
Another wrote: ‘I hope this was just an accident and that someone dropped their bottle because there were too many people and people were pushing too hard in that area, but…
“I can’t rule out that some clueless person thinks it would be a good idea to throw something heavy at someone who isn’t even looking.”
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Fans expressed their support for Djokovic in social media posts after the incident.
The incident comes after British star Dan Evans was involved in a heated dispute with a referee during their first round clash in Rome.
Evans went on a tirade against the referee after disagreeing with the referee’s decision when he was beaten by home favorite Fabio Fognini.