Men's top seed and world No. 1 Novak Djokovic released a statement on Sunday after being defaulted in his Round-of-16 match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the 2020 US Open. The Serb was defaulted after a ball he hit in frustration struck a back-court line umpire.
"This whole situation has left me really sad and empty," said Djokovic on Instagram. "I checked on the lines person 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.
"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," Djokovic added. "I apologize to the US Open tournament 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."
Update: On Sept. 7, Djokovic added another statement on Instagram: "Dear #NoleFam thank you for your positive messages. Please also remember the linesperson that was hit by the ball last night needs our community's support too. She's done nothing wrong at all. I ask you to stay espsecially supportive and caring to her during this time. From these moemnts, we grow stronger and we rise above. Sharing love with everyone. Europe here I come."
