Novak Djokovic was hit in the head by a water bottle, and after his loss at the 2024 Italian Open, he explained what happened afterward.
A really bizarre incident happened in Rome when Djokovic got hit in the head by a metal water bottle. It was a freak accident as the bottle slid out of a holder on a rucksack from a spectator who was leaning over to catch a glimpse of the Serbian as he was leaving the courts, signing autographs for the fans.
While most of the fans have seen the video, not many actually know what happened after, but Djokovic explained it after his loss at the Italian Open.
"I mean, I think in the video you saw it very clearly. It was a very unfortunate, unlucky situation for me. It was an accident where that guy leaned over the fence, and the bottle dropped from his rucksack and landed directly on my head."
"It was unexpected obviously. I wasn't even looking up. Then I felt a very strong hit in the head. That has, yeah, really impacted me a lot. After that I got the medical care. Been through half an hour, an hour of nausea, dizziness, blood, a lot of different things."
Everything Djokovic mentioned is quite severe and should not be scoffed at, even though the incident may have looked bizarre, especially considering how he looked in the match. There is a very good chance the incident impacted his play, something he even admitted was possible.
"I managed to sleep okay. I had headaches. The next day or yesterday was pretty fine, so I thought it's okay. Maybe it is okay. Maybe it's not. I mean, the way I felt on the court today was just completely like a different player entered into my shoes. Just no rhythm, no tempo, no balance whatsoever on any shot. It's a bit concerning."