In a surprising twist at the 2023 Srpska Open, Novak Djokovic accidentally launched his racquet into the crowd during his match against Dusan Lajovic.
The world number one experienced a rather peculiar incident during his quarter-final match at the 2023 Srpska Open in Banja Luka. Facing off against fellow Serbian Dusan Lajovic, Djokovic not only lost the match but also briefly lost his racquet in a rare moment of on-court mishap.
The incident occurred when Djokovic attempted a challenging return in the first set, only to see his racquet fly out of his hand and into the stands. The unexpected turn of events immediately captured the attention of the spectators.
With Lajovic leading in the first set 3-2, Djokovic's unanticipated racquet toss led to a momentary pause in the game. However, the atmosphere in the stadium remained light-hearted, as a spectator swiftly handed back the racquet to the world No. 1, drawing applause and laughter from the crowd. The lucky fan even managed to snap a memorable picture with the racquet before returning it to Djokovic.
Despite the brief moment of levity, Djokovic's tournament dreams came to an end as Lajovic emerged victorious in the match, winning in two sets with a score of 6-4, 7-6(6). After the match, the victorious Serb didn't hide his emotions, stating:
“I'm overwhelmed, it is the biggest win of my career. The emotions are very mixed because I'm playing here in front of the home town and I'm also playing against Nole who is a good friend and he's a hero of our country. Beating him, it's something that I didn't even think is going to be possible, but it happened.”
After the defeat, Djokovic also praised his fellow compatriot who played a great match, and surely, the Serb is glad that it could be Lajovic who defeated him, although he surely didn't want to lose.
“Dusan is a fantastic person, great guy. Someone I’ve known for a very long time, since he started playing professional tennis. So many times on the Davis Cup team together, trained together. I’m happy for him, to be honest. I know this is an important win for him considering the last 12 months that he’s been through, it’s not been easy for him. He’s playing well and he deserved to win today.”
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