Updated with statement from Novak Djokovic
Owensboro resident Laura Clark, a line judge in professional tennis, was calling a fourth-round match at the US Open when world No. 1 Novak Djokovic accidentally hit her with a ball and was defaulted from the match Sunday.
Djokovic has shown signs of frustration already in the match, and had just fallen behind 6-5 in the first set against Pablo Carreno Busta.
As he headed to his seat for the changeover, Djokovic hit a ball behind him without looking. The ball hit Clark in the throat, and she fell to the ground holding her throat.
The consensus was there was no intent, and Djokovic walked over to her as soon as he saw what happened. However, he was still defaulted because of the rules regarding hitting a ball out of anger and making contact with an on-court official.
Clark was able to walk off the court on her own but had to be removed from the officiating rotation.
Djokovic was vying for his 18th Grand Slam title and was a heavy favorite to win the tournament. He was on a 26-0 so far this season.
A few hours after the incident, Djokovic made a statement on his Facebook page.
“This whole situation has left me really sad and empty. I checked on the linesperson and the tournament told me that thank God she is feeling ok. I‘m extremely sorry to have caused her such stress. So unintended. So wrong. I’m not disclosing her name to respect her privacy. As for the disqualification, I need to go back within and work on my disappointment and turn this all into a lesson for my growth and evolution as a player and human being. I apologize to the US Open Tennis Championships and everyone associated for my behavior. I’m very grateful to my team and family for being my rock support, and my fans for always being there with me. Thank you and I’m so sorry.”
