Novak Djokovic releases statement after being struck on the head at Italian Open

Kevin Palmer
Novak Djokovic at the Italian Open
Novak Djokovic on court at the Italian Open in Rome

Novak Djokovic has posted a message on his social media account to assure fans he is in good shape after a shocking incident at the Italian Open in Rome.

Djokovic beat Corentin Moutet in his opening match in the Italian capital, but the biggest story emerged after the two players had shaken hands.

Moments after his victory, the 36-year-old suffered an “accidental” blow to his head as he made his way off the court.

Djokovic fell to the ground for more than half a minute before he returned to his feet, flanked by multiple officials, and then headed to the medical centre at the Foro Italico.

A statement from the Italian Open read: “Novak Djokovic has been accidentally hit by a bottle while signing autographs after his 6-3 6-1 win against France’s Corentin Moutet at the Italian Open.

“This is not being treated as a deliberate act, but as an accident. A boy was calling out to get an autograph and the bottle fell out of his bag. Novak has been taken to the medical centre.

“He underwent appropriate medication and has already left the Foro Italico to return to his hotel; his condition is not a cause for concern.”

Now Djokovic has followed up the comments from Italian Open tournament chiefs by posting a message of his own to confirm he is recovering well after the blow to his head.

“Thank you for the messages of concern. This was an accident and I am fine resting at the hotel with an ice pack. See you all on Sunday.”

So it seems Djokovic’s campaign in Rome will continue despite the incident, with reports in Rome suggesting he was suffering from nausea and a small cut to his head.

Thankfully, this incident appears to have passed with only minimal impact on the 24-time Grand Slam champion, who is noted for staying long after his matches to sign autographs with fans.

READ MORE: WATCH: Novak Djokovic slumps to the floor after being hit in shocking Italian Open incident

Djokovic had made a nervy opening to the first set as Moutet broke twice to move 3-1 ahead.

The Serbian, though, fought back with two breaks of his own before serving out the opening set in 45 minutes.

There was a light-hearted moment at the start of the second set when the alarm on Moutet’s phone in his bag went off, with the Frenchman making a quick dash to his chair to hit the stop button.

With Djokovic 2-0 up after an early break, the world number one noticed a hole near the baseline on his side of the court, which was quickly patched up before extra clay was bedded in during the next change of ends.

After such a promising start, Moutet was beginning to lose his cool – and was warned by the umpire after kicking the net in frustration after sliding in for a forehand.

Djokovic – competing in his first match since the semi-finals in Monte-Carlo – kept the pressure on Moutet’s serve to bring up a match point, which he took at the first opportunity with a forehand volley to complete his 6-3 6-1 win.

He is now due to take on Alejandro Tabilo on Sunday, with his social media post appearing to confirm he will be on the court for that match as planned.

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