Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic wore a bicycle helmet on Saturday as he signed autographs for fans at the Foro Italico in Rome, a day after an aluminum water bottle fell from the crowd and hit him on the head.
On Saturday, Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic arrived at the Foro Italico in Rome sporting a bicycle helmet. The helmet was a precautionary measure following a scary incident at the Italian Open just a day earlier.
After a 6-3, 6-1 win over French qualifier Corentin Moutet, Djokovic was exiting the clay court when he stopped to sign autographs for fans. Suddenly, an aluminum water bottle fell from the crowd above, hitting Djokovic directly on the top of his head.
Djokovic collapsed to the ground and appeared to hold his head for several minutes before eventually exiting the court. Tournament organizers subsequently released a statement, saying that Djokovic had been hit on the head by a water bottle while signing autographs and had received medical attention.
Djokovic later released a statement on Twitter, calling the incident an "accident" and assuring fans that he was resting at the hotel with an ice pack. He added that he would see the fans on Sunday.
On Saturday, tournament organizers shared a video showing that a fan leaning over to greet Djokovic was responsible for the incident. The video revealed that the water bottle fell out of a backpack the fan was wearing as he leaned over the stands.
Despite the incident, Djokovic appeared to be in good spirits as he arrived at the sports facility in Rome on Saturday. He won his first match on Friday after taking nearly a month off.
Djokovic's decision to wear a protective helmet was met with mixed reactions on social media. Some praised the Serbian for taking precautions, while others criticized him for overreacting.
In a statement released on Saturday, Djokovic said he wore the helmet to protect himself from potential injuries. He also thanked the fans for their support and said he was looking forward to continuing the tournament.
Djokovic is a 23-time Grand Slam champion and is considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time. The Italian Open is a prestigious tournament that precedes the French Open, which is scheduled to begin on May 28.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
