World No. 1 Novak Djokovic on Friday required medical attention after being struck in the head by a water bottle following his second-round win against France’s Corentin Moutet at the Italian Open.
The Serbian was signing autographs after his easy 6-3, 6-1 victory against the lucky loser when he was hit in the head by the bottle and he immediately clutched his head as fell to his knees. He remained crouched on the ground for several seconds as staff ran to his aid and was eventually helped off court.
Tournament organizers said there was no cause for concern over his condition.
Photo: AFP
“Novak Djokovic on leaving the Central Court at the end of his match was hit on the head by a water bottle while signing autographs [for] spectators,” the tournament said in a statement posted on social media. “He underwent appropriate medication and has already left the Foro Italico to return to his hotel.”
Footage posted to social media showed the bottle had slipped out of a fan’s backpack and hit him.
Reuters was not immediately able to independently verify the footage.
“Thank you for the messages of concern,” Djokovic wrote on X. “This was an accident and I am fine resting at the hotel with an ice pack. See you all on Sunday.”
He next plays Chilean Alejandro Tabilo.
In the women’s doubles, Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Mertens of Belgium beat Anna Kalinskaya and Elena Vesnina 7-5, 6-2.
Additional reporting by staff writer
‘SOURCE OF PRIDE’: Newspapers rushed out special editions and the government sent their congratulations as Shohei Ohtani became the first player to enter the 50-50 club Japan reacted with incredulity and pride yesterday after Shohei Ohtani became the first player in Major League Baseball to record 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season. The Los Angeles Dodgers star from Japan made history with a seventh-inning homer in a 20-4 victory over the Marlins in Miami. “We would like to congratulate him from the bottom of our heart,” top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters in Tokyo. “We sincerely hope Mr Ohtani, who has already accomplished feat after feat and carved out a new era, will thrive further,” he added. The landmark achievement dominated Japanese morning news
When Wang Tao ran away from home aged 17 to become a professional wrestler, he knew it would be a hard slog to succeed in China’s passionate but underdeveloped scene. Years later, he has endured family disapproval, countless side gigs and thousands of hours of brutal training to become China’s “Belt and Road Champion” — but the struggle is far from over. Despite a promising potential domestic market, the Chinese pro wrestling community has been battling for recognition and financial stability for decades. “I have done all kinds of jobs [on the side]... Because in the end, it is very
No team in the CPBL can surpass the Taipei Dome attendance record set by the CTBC Brothers, except when the Brothers team up with Taiwanese rock band Mayday. A record-high 40,000 fans turned out at the indoor baseball venue on Saturday for Brothers veteran Chou Szu-chi’s first farewell game, which was followed by a mini post-game concert featuring Mayday. This broke the previous CPBL record of 34,506 set by the Brothers in early last month, when K-pop singer Hyuna performed after the game, and the dome’s overall record of 37,890 set in early March, which featured the Brothers and the
Olympic bronze medalist Lee Meng-yuan has become the first Taiwanese athlete to top the International Shooting Sport Federation’s (ISSF) men’s skeet world rankings, while top Taiwanese shooters won golds in each of yesterday’s finals in Taoyuan. Lee’s 6,610 points put him ahead of fellow men’s skeet medalists from the Paris Olympics Americans Vincent Hancock and Conner Prince. Lee on Monday said that he was surprised by the result, although he had expected his ranking to rise after the Games, which was also the first time a Taiwanese athlete had competed in men’s skeet. Despite topping the rankings, Lee said he believed Hancock, who