Novak Djokovic, the world’s number one tennis player, was struck by a water bottle on Friday as he signed autographs following his victory in the second round of the Rome Open. The incident caused Djokovic to crouch on the ground in pain, but he later took to social media to assure his fans that he was feeling well and resting at his hotel.
Djokovic’s participation in the tournament had been in doubt after he was led away from the arena by security staff, but tournament organizers later released a statement saying that Djokovic’s condition was not a cause for concern. The incident occurred as Djokovic was greeting fans on center court at the Foro Italico in Rome. Video footage shared by tournament organizers showed that the bottle had accidentally slipped from a spectator’s grasp.
Djokovic’s absence from the tournament would have been a significant blow, as he is a six-time champion in Rome and a strong contender for the French Open, which begins later this month. The Italian capital is hosting the last major tournament before the French Open, and the field is already missing several top players, including Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Matteo Berrettini, and Lorenzo Musetti.
On Saturday, Djokovic’s great clay-court rival Rafael Nadal will continue his comeback in a second-round clash with seventh seed Hubert Hurkacz. Nadal has said that he will only play at the French Open, where he has won 14 times, if he feels competitive after a raft of injury problems over the last two years.
