Djokovic

[SebastianTheCrab]

He apparently purposely flicked the ball at a lineswoman who got hit in the throat and was disqualified.

People on Twitter are saying it was an accident. The footage isn't very clear but considering he's a top tennis player (Ie excellent control over the ball) and known misogynist it doesn't seem surprising he was angry and decided to take it out on a woman.

Particularly unimpressed by this BBC Sport tweet. How the fuck do they know it was "accidentally"? Aren't they meant to be unbiased?

Apparently he argued that “it’s not like she needs to go to the hospital”? That seems to be his line of acceptability...

Lots of talk online about the female dramatizing for attention.

They did the correct thing by sending him off. It won’t help his rage towards women though. Or other people’s.....

He may not have intended to hit her in the throat, but a temper tantrum is not a fucking accident.

Is he a 'known misogynist'? Proof?

Footage does show the shot looking accidental -and relatively gentle. Not an angry/frustrated shot.

Not sure if it is a feminist issue? Novak has been around a long time, he really wanted that title, and he knew cameras were on his every move...

Im no Djokovic fan but I think it's very clear from the footage that it was unintentional. You can see the shock reaction when he realised it had hit her and he raced over to check on her. I dont think for one second he thought 'oh I'll take my frustrations out on that woman'. It just seemed a complete freak accident to me.

@tenlittlecygnets

Is he a 'known misogynist'? Proof?

Footage does show the shot looking accidental -and relatively gentle. Not an angry/frustrated shot.

Not sure if it is a feminist issue? Novak has been around a long time, he really wanted that title, and he knew cameras were on his every move...

Male violence is always a feminist issue.

He hit a ball at a woman. It doesn't matter how "gentle" it was - he has masterful control of the ball and a serve that can reach 120 miles an hour. He hit her in the throat.

And the misogyny comes from the fact he's starting a breakaway tennis association but initially didn't think to include any female players. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tennis/2020/08/30/women-novak-djokovics-plans-breakaway-association-draws-much/

He wasn't having a tantrum. He was bouncing the ball. It was clearly an accident.

His response to seeing her collapse in pain:

"She doesn’t have to go to hospital for this,” adding, “You’re going to choose a default in this situation? My career, grand slam, centre stage.”

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/sep/06/novak-djokovic-disqualified-from-us-open-tennis-after-hitting-line-judge-with-ball

Really surprised by the responses on here. Even if it was an accident it still merits disqualification.

And the UTA issued a statement saying it wasn't an accident.

In my opinion.... he was indeed having a tantrum but in a controlled way as he was aware that the world was watching.
In my opinion, the ball being hit the way it was...nonchalantly....was an attempt to covertly have a tantrum.
Only it didn’t quite work out for him.

He can serve at 120 mph, that ball was probably travelling about 40.... He should of been sent off but it was accidental. Stop embarrassing yourself by trying to make it a femenist issue for God's sake!

Accidental my arse.

@Forgone90

He can serve at 120 mph, that ball was probably travelling about 40.... He should of been sent off but it was accidental. Stop embarrassing yourself by trying to make it a femenist issue for God's sake!

What a horrible post.

He struck the ball in anger and it accidentally hit the line judge who happened to be a woman. I’ve seen what little footage there is and he wasn’t aiming at anything.

He absolutely should have been disqualified but trying to turn this into male on female violence is a bit ridiculous. There are actual fights to be fought and this isn’t one of them.

Tim Henman was once disqualified for the same reason. Tim Henman.

I have no idea whether he has form as a misogynist (I have less than zero interest in tennis).

Clearly he is a twat with anger control issues and a tendency to temper tantrumming like a toddler and fully deserved to be sent off, lose his points and his money.
But the incident did not look deliberate to me, not aimed at anybody and not particularly at the woman who was struck

Op, I am genuinely surprised that you took what you did from this incident..

He should have been disqualified.
Is it a feminist issue?
I’m unsure, but it definitely warrants a discussion by anyone who wants to.

It’s really not appropriate to police what women discuss. Op can start a thread and ask any question she/he likes without being ridiculed because some posters disagree.

It was right that he was disqualified but I do not believe it was intentional. He is clearly shocked and responds quickly.

Of course he will argue against default. He's a professional tennis player, the best ranked one left in the tournament. It was his to win along with the money and title. No professional athlete is going to meekly agree to lose out because of an accident. Arguing against being disqualified doesn't mean it wasn't an accident.

The classicism on here is fascinating.

If this were a footballer who, in anger, kicked a ball and it hit a female umpire, who then collapsed in pain, would the responses on here (and social media) be so dismissive?I doubt it.

And I have every right to bring this up in a feminist forum

If this were a footballer who, in anger, kicked a ball and it hit a female umpire, who then collapsed in pain, would the responses on here (and social media) be so dismissive?I doubt it.

I disagree.

If the footballer had kicked it at the female official the responses would be different. Not if they’d just kicked the ball in anger.

If it appeared to be an accident, yes...

Was he wrong - yes. He needs to learn to regulate his behaviour. Was it an intentional misogynist attack; personally I don't think so. Look at his face when he realises what's happened - either that's an an accident or he's a far better actor than I thought

It's not because he's a tennis player. It's because it was accidental.

If you want to talk about grown men having temper tantrums, that's cool, let's do it. But I'm not going to condemn him for purposefully launching a ball at a women's throat because he is a mysogynist because I don't agree that's the case.

Firstly hitting a judge with a ball not in play is the bit that disqualifies him - the umpire and the tournament organisers made that clear.

Totally understandable (as Novaks a bit of a prick and was having a tantrum) that he would say stupid things immediately following - anything ! To avoid that he already knows he's going off because of it.

The (separate) misogyny arises from the way this is spoken about - that the woman is going to 'sue', she fell over dramatically - it basically ALL being blamed on a woman rather than it being a disqualifiable offence

Wrong yes. Misogyny no. He hit the ball in frustration which is against the 'rules' of tennis. So wrong. He did not appear to hit it AT anyone.

I think it was an accident. I think it was an accident as a result of a temper tantrum (or as a result of trying to control a temper tantrum). As such, I think it was right that he was disqualified. I don’t think the lineswoman being a woman has anything to do with it- could have just as easily been a man hit.

You seem rather paranoid. Yes, he lost his temper and yes, he did something stupid. It cost him. He is not the first tennis player to have this happen to them. Your post has nothing to do with feminism, but plenty to do with man-hating, in my opinion.

The (separate) misogyny arises from the way this is spoken about - that the woman is going to 'sue', she fell over dramatically - it basically ALL being blamed on a woman rather than it being a disqualifiable offence hmm

^This - absolutely.^

Making the woman responsible for the mans behaviour ..somehow the victim made it happen. It’s her fault he got sent off because she dramatized it deliberately. Really he’s the victim.