Novak Djokovic has apologised after almost hitting a ball girl with the ball during his history-making Australian Open third-round match on Saturday.
Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, recorded a 6-3 6-4 7-6 (7-4) victory over Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp at Melbourne Park to become the first player ever to reach 400 singles wins at the Grand Slams and equal Roger Federer’s record of 102 victories at the year’s first major.
However, in an apparent moment of frustration, the 38-year-old Serbian star sent a forehand shot that narrowly missed the head of a ball girl crouching close to the net.
Djokovic, who was disqualified from the US Open in 2020 after hitting a line judge with a ball, later apologised, saying the incident happened “in the heat of the moment”.
“I apologise for that,” he said.
“That was not necessary and in the heat of the moment.
“I was lucky there, and I’m sorry for causing any distress to the ball kid or anybody.”
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Djokovic has won 10 Australian Open men’s singles titles in his career and is going in search of what would be a record 25th Grand Slam triumph.
He is yet to drop a set at the 2026 tournament, but his win over Van de Zandschulp, who won the last meeting between the two in Indian Wells last year, was far from straight-forward.
The Serbian sparked concerns when he fell clutching his right ankle during the third game of the third set, although the subsequent visit he received from the trainer was to treat a blister.
He then saved two set points at 5-6 in the third set, entering into his latest battle with the Melbourne crowd over noise during points, putting his finger to his lips on several occasions and cupping his hand to his ear when he made it across the line.
After the match, Djokovic said: “I relaxed a little bit too much and was in trouble closing out the second set, and pretty much from that moment onwards it was anybody’s game.
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“I was really lucky to get out of the set point in the third. Just glad to overcome it in straights.
“It’s been a great start to the tournament,” he added, saying: “I’m still trying to give these young guys a push for their money.”
He dismissed any concerns over his ankle, saying: “Thankfully I managed to have a good fall. Things could have been very ugly.”
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When asked if he had any advice for his younger self, Djokovic said: “Calm down, you jerk.
“It’s true. I am too stressed on the court very often and too much tension at times. I think I would say the patience is a big one.”
