“Compounding the Error”: Former British Player on Novak Djokovic Avoiding Press Conference at US Open 2020

The tennis world was numbed with shock on September 6 as Novak Djokovic was disqualified from the US Open. He was just broken by Pablo Carreno Busta and in a fit of anger, he accidentally hit the line judge. As a result, the match referee defaulted him.

On his way out, Novak went straight to his car and didn’t attend the mandatory post-match press conference. British tennis legend Tim Henman noticed this and offered some advice to Novak Djokovic.

Tim Henman To Novak Djokovic

Tennis legend Tim Henman is no stranger to getting defaulted at events. Back at the 1995 Wimbledon, he accidentally hit the ball girl, leading to immediate disqualification.

Owing to his personal experience, he gave Novak Djokovic some advice when he did not give a press conference after the sad incident. He said–

“Unfortunately he’s compounding the error. He needs to face up to it, apologize and accept he made a mistake. By, in essence, running away, it’s going to go on longer.”

Novak’s Apology

While Novak may not have given a press conference after his disqualification, he did issue an apology on Instagram. He said –

“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…I apologize to the US Open tournament and everyone associated for my behaviour.”

The Serb has had a terrible year that saw him get riddled in controversies due to the Adria Tour. However, he is a 17-time Grand Slam champion for a reason. His fans know that he will return stronger at the next event he plays in the clay-court season.

Read More – “The Rule is the Rule”: Billie Jean King Sends a Message to Novak Djokovic After US Open 2020 Disqualification