Djokovic's witty comeback with a helmet after Rome mishap
In the second round of the ATP 1000 tournament in Rome, Novak Djokovic triumphed over Corentin Moutet with a score of 6:3, 6:1. Following the match, while Djokovic was signing autographs, a bottle accidentally struck him. The next day, the world's number one on the ATP rankings appeared on the court wearing a helmet.
11:04 AM EDT, May 11, 2024
Novak Djokovic commenced his journey in the second round of the ATP 1000 tournament in Rome as the event's top-seeded player, a tournament hosted in Italy's capital.
Djokovic was heavily favored to win against the lower-ranked Frenchman Corentin Moutet. Despite some early challenges in his service games, he lived up to expectations, securing a victory with scores of 6:3 and 6:1.
After concluding the match, while engaging with fans and signing autographs, Djokovic was unexpectedly hit by a falling bottle and collapsed. The organizers later released a video confirming that the incident was accidental, caused by a bottle slipping out of a fan's backpack.
"Thank you for all the messages of concern. It was an accident, and I'm okay. Resting at the hotel with an ice pack. See you on Sunday," Djokovic shared on social media.
By Saturday (May 11), Djokovic had already returned to the Rome court to begin his training. Despite the mishap, he was not deterred from signing autographs once again, albeit with a twist.
An Italian news outlet, Ubitennis, revealed that Djokovic showed up wearing a helmet. This humorous approach was Djokovic's way of responding to the previous day's incident, bringing a smile to the community's face.
"Djokovic arrived at Foro Italico taking appropriate precautions - and, as always, with a generous sprinkling of irony - after yesterday's incident," the outlet noted, complementing their report with a video.
