Djokovic grateful after near miss at Australian Open
Novak Djokovic has acknowledged he was fortunate to remain in the Australian Open after a moment of frustration nearly saw him thrown out of the tournament, reports BritPanorama.
The Serbian star came perilously close to striking a ball kid during his third-round encounter with Botic van de Zandschulp on Saturday, with the ball passing less than a metre from the youngster. Following his straight-sets triumph of 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(4), the 10-time Melbourne champion conceded the incident could have ended his campaign.
“Yeah, I apologised for that,” Djokovic said when asked if he felt lucky to still be competing. “That was not necessary and in the heat of the moment. Yeah, I was lucky there, and I’m sorry for causing any distress to the ball kid or anybody.”
The incident occurred during the second set when the fourth seed struck a ball away after Van de Zandschulp had sent a shot long, with the ball narrowly missing a ball kid positioned at the side of the court. Djokovic immediately raised his arm in apology, yet television commentator Colin Fleming expressed concern over how close the situation came to disaster.
“Careful, that was almost a default. That was so close to a default,” Fleming remarked during the broadcast. Upon reviewing slow-motion footage of the moment, the commentator noted his astonishment that officials had not intervened. “I’m a little surprised that it isn’t a code violation, actually. Oh my goodness, that’s less than a metre from a default,” Fleming observed.
The near miss will inevitably draw comparisons to Djokovic’s infamous exit from the 2020 US Open, when he was disqualified for accidentally hitting a lineswoman with a ball. On that occasion, the former world No 1 had grown frustrated after being broken to trail Pablo Carreno Busta 6-5, pulling a ball from his pocket and striking it away in anger, only for it to hit the official.
Despite Saturday’s scare, the 38-year-old has progressed to the second week in Melbourne for the 18th time in his career, remaining untroubled so far having not dropped a set through three rounds. Djokovic will be mindful of conserving energy for potential clashes with Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz in the latter stages.
In his post-match interview, Djokovic was asked what advice he would give to his younger self after keeping his hopes of glory alive. “Calm down, you jerk,” the veteran replied. “I’m too stressed on the court very often. Too much tension at times. I would say patience is a big one. When we are younger, regardless of the area of life we are involved in, I think we want everything here and now, today.”
He emphasized the importance of surrounding oneself with the right people and building character for success throughout one’s career. Djokovic’s candid remarks offer a glimpse into the pressures faced at the elite level, not just on the court but in navigating the demands of performance and personal growth. In the rush of competition, moments can arise that remind even the greatest players how quickly the tide can turn.
