“It was an accident and I’m fine”: knocked out on Friday by a water bottle, Djokovic meets his fans on Sunday in Rome

Novak Djokovic entre en lice dimanche au tournoi de Rome. ANSA – ETTORE FERRARI

More fear than harm after the water bottle incident for the world No.1, who is despite everything looking for great form less than three weeks before Roland-Garros (26th). May-June 9).

World No.1 Novak Djokovic, involuntarily knocked unconscious by a spectator's water bottle on Friday on the sidelines of the Masters 1000 in Rome, is doing "fine&quot ; and will be able to play his next match on Sunday, he indicated on Saturday on X (ex-Twitter).

"Thank you for your messages of concern for me. It was an accident and I'm fine, I'm resting at the hotel with an ice pack (on my head), wrote the Serb in a message published during the night from Friday to Saturday. "See you on Sunday", he added , in reference to his scheduled 3rd round match against the Chilean Alejandro Tabilo, 32nd in the world.

At the end of his entry into the Roman tournament, an easily won match against the French Corentin Moutet 6-3, 6-1, Djokovic, 36, was the victim of & rsquo;an unusual accident. While he was signing autographs for spectators located in the stands above him, he received a water bottle on his head that fell from the backpack of one of these spectators.

Under the violence of the shock, he fell to the ground, remained prostrate for long seconds, before regaining his senses and walking back to the locker room.

Also read:VIDEO. Novak Djokovic receives a water bottle in the head while signing autographs in Rome

He has been running for months in search of his optimal shape

The organizers of the Masters 1000 in Rome then indicated that Djokovic had an injury to the top of his head which required the use of surgical glue, but that he did not recover. had not been transported to a hospital.

Djokovic did not participate in the traditional post-match press conference and returned to his hotel. Even before this incident, the first part of the year 2024 was not favorable to "Djoko" : he is certainly still at the top of world tennis, but he is in the shadow of the new generation embodied by the Italian Jannik Sinner, winner of the Australian Open but absent in Rome due to injury.

Also read: VIDEO. In the middle of a match against Djokovic, Corentin Moutet stops to turn off the alarm on his phone

The record holder for Grand Slam victories (24) has not won any titles this season and is chasing his optimal form less than three weeks before Roland-Garros (May 26). -June 9).