Novak Djokovic lifts lid on water bottle controversy
ATP
Novak Djokovic was involved in a controversy that included water bottles at the 2023 Australian Open, and now he has explained it.
During his matches in Melbourne, the Serbian received at least two bottles that caught the eyes of fans. First, he received a bottle that was fully covered, and fans were wondering what was inside.
Then, he also received a bottle with a note that was delivered to him during a changeover. That happened during Djokovic's match against Enzo Couacaud, which was his most challenging match at the event so far.
The Serbian had to battle in four sets, but eventually, he was able to beat the French player, winning 6-1, 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-0. Although his on-court performance in the last two sets impressed, fans were more interested in the note that he received.
After his most recent match, Djokovic opened up about these water bottles and explained why some of his bottles had to be covered. He drinks water from a specific company that he invested in, and they have to be covered because of the tournament's sponsorships.
"All the bottles I use here are Waterdrop’s. I thank the Australian Open because they allowed me to use them even though other companies sponsor the tournament, so that’s why you don’t see Waterdrop’s logo."
He also joked about the fact that supervisors deliver those to him and that they are well aware of his choices. The bottles he receives are big, so the supervisor always cracks a joke about Djokovic's "gold bars" because of their weight.
"Their bottles are huge, one litre and a half. I can barely carry them. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but other people carry that bag with those bottles for me. So every time the supervisor brings me the bottle, he says: 'Here are your gold bars!'"
