Novak Djokovic’s co-coach has described his US Open default as an ‘injustice’
The former Wimbledon champion says there should have been leniency shown
Ivanisevic criticised the ‘maliciousness’ that greeted Djokovic’s punishment
Djokovic has jetted out to Rome and will take part in next week’s Italian Open .
Novak Djokovic is to make a quick return to action next week, with his co-coach Goran Ivanisevic describing his US Open default as an injustice.
The former Wimbledon champion, who was courtside when he was disqualified for hitting a female line judge with a ball, believes there should have been more leniency shown and a game penalty awarded.
As soon as I heard her sighing I knew that was it,’ he told Serbian publication SpotKlub. ‘Okay if there is intention to harm someone, but this was a complete accident.
Yes there are rules but taking into consideration that Novak didn’t have any intention, and with corona and everything, they shouldn’t have defaulted him.’
Ivanisevic criticised what he felt was a sense of schadenfreude in some part of the tennis world after his player’s demise.
‘What I find tragic is that many people act like they were just waiting for him to do something wrong. There is a lot of maliciousness and a lot of people happy that someone else is in trouble. Some of the media are out to get him and I really don’t know why that is.’
Djokovic has travelled to Rome and will play in next week’s Italian Open, where he will be accompanied by long-time mentor Marian Vajda.
His former manager, meanwhile, sensationally claimed recently that he believes Roger Federer would not have been disqualified for a similar incident.
Niki Pilic claimed the 20-time Grand Slam champion would have been handed a lesser punishment, and even went on to accuse the line judge who was struck, Laura Clark, of ‘acting a little’.
Writing in his column for Sportsmail, Boris Becker admitted he feared Djokovic was destined to close control on the court eventually. The experienced coach admitted to warning the fiery Serbian to not throw things or hit the ball away.
If you ask Novak Djokovic in 10 years’ time for the worst thing he experienced on a tennis court it will surely be disqualification at the 2020 US Open,’ he wrote.
‘That is why he will have been feeling both embarrassed and frustrated by the events of the fourth round as they start to sink in.
