More than three decades ago, a horrific on-court attack at the Hamburg tournament left a lasting impression. Witnesses to the stabbing of Monica Seles by a Steffi Graf fan still vividly recall the incident, describing it as shocking and unsettling. On the flip side, although Novak Djokovic might dodge a bullet, a mere bottle left him with a scar.

The infamous “water bottle incident” occurred accidentally when a spectator’s backpack dislodged the metal bottle, hitting Djokovic on the head after his victory over Corentin Moutet at the Italian Open. Djokovic downplayed the incident with humor, wearing a helmet on next day of the tournament. While Djoker has assured fans that his “head is fine”, a tennis pro feels Djokovic’s accident and Seles’ attack, though vastly different in nature, have both left a mark on the sport.

Novak Djokovic’s concerns about his performance grew after this incident as it preceded his straight-sets loss to Alejandro Tabilo, raising worries among fans. Guido Monaco, a former Italian tennis player and current Eurosport consultant, believes the blow, though unintentional, could have impacted Djokovic mentally. He pointed to Monica Seles’ 1993 stabbing incident as an example of how on-court events can affect players, regardless of intent.

Guido Monaco suggested the blow from a falling water bottle may have had a bigger impact. “Let’s not forget that before the knife attack on Monica Seles, there was no security in tennis. This incident caused a lot of ink to flow but he was very scared, regardless of whether it was accidental, he was really very scared. And even though he joked with the helmet the next day, it left mental scars”- said Monaco.

In a shocking incident on April 30, 1993, at the Hamburg Citizen Cup, Monica Seles was attacked on court. A spectator, later identified as Guenter Parche, inflicted a minor injury with a knife during her match against Magdalena Maleeva. Parche’s motive, according to police reports, was to disrupt Seles’ tennis career.

Talking about the on-court similarities in terms of records, Novak Djokovic equaled one of Seles’ records this Australian Open. Novak continued his dominant run at the Australian Open, extending his undefeated streak to 33 matches with a quarterfinal victory over Taylor Fritz. This win tied him with Monica Seles for the record of most consecutive Australian Open matches won (33). Seles achieved this feat in the 1990s, ultimately winning four Australian Open titles during that period. Along with their accidental similarities, Djokovic also mentioned how he loves what Monica was and what she could have been had the fate been on her side.

“Tennis mother”: Djokovic and Seles share an unexpected connection

After winning this year’s Australian Open’s quarterfinals, the Serb made a record of not losing one match in this tour for over six years. While asked about his feelings as he matched up with Monica Seles’ Melbourne Park record, he said- “It means a lot. I didn’t know that I’m sharing this achievement, this record with her. It makes it of course even more special for me. I really love Monica.”

Speaking further about how his former coach sowed the reap of Seles’ idea in his head, the Serb said- “I have had Monica in my head when I was growing up in Serbia pretty much every single day, because (my childhood coach) Jelena Gencic, my tennis mother, as I like to call her … worked with Monica when she was young. So I was hearing a lot about Monica; Monica this, Monica that, Monica eats this, Monica sleeps this much, Monica practises this way.” 

The World N0. 1 further emphasized that it’s natural to wonder what her trajectory might have been without that interruption. “I know that she had an incredible career, and particularly she played well in Australia. We all wonder how far she could have went if she didn’t have to go through what she went through.”

Guido Monaco’s statement helps fans understand that Novak Djokovic’s accident in Rome might not be like Monica Seles’s case but might have impacted the Serb in some way. Well, now fans should be considerate of him and cheer him ahead of his Geneva Open tour.