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?

I didnt think that was intentional at all, in fact I've seen a few players do that before with no consequence because it didnt hit anyone.
obviously there should be a consequence but I'm surprised anyone thinks hes that good that he could sim at her throat without even looking!

I'm pointing out that Eden Hazard did this and got away with a red card and was not ordered to pay a fine or any compensation. Djoković just wanted to get rid of a ball so gently threw it behind him without realising the line judge was there and ended up getting disqualified from the entire US Open, and knowing the snowflakes we have today, will probably be facing further disciplinary proceedings

You do realise football and tennis are different sports, with different rules, don't you?

@Namechangr9000

I didnt think that was intentional at all, in fact I've seen a few players do that before with no consequence because it didnt hit anyone. obviously there should be a consequence but I'm surprised anyone thinks hes that good that he could sim at her throat without even looking!

Thank you!

@DianasLasso

You do realise football and tennis are different sports, with different rules, don't you?

well aware

@Kyle19

I'm pointing out that Eden Hazard did this and got away with a red card and was not ordered to pay a fine or any compensation. Djoković just wanted to get rid of a ball so gently threw it behind him without realising the line judge was there and ended up getting disqualified from the entire US Open, and knowing the snowflakes we have today, will probably be facing further disciplinary proceedings

Yes, but how is what happens in a different sport with different rules at all relevant to tennis? Especially when apparently a male tennis player having accidentally hit a male official and being disqualified apparently isn't analogous to this situation.

Djoković just wanted to get rid of a ball so gently threw it behind him without realising the line judge

Okay, first of all he didn't 'gently throw it behind him' he hit it with his racket. And he'd be well aware there were line judges behind him. That's not to say he aimed the ball at her deliberately, but there's no way he wouldn't have known there was someone in that vicinity.

@ILoveYou3000

Also, my husband watched it live and when he was telling me about what happened he (disappointingly) said it wouldn't have happened if she'd been watching the ball, which is her job. I wonder if there are other idiots out there thinking the same thing? If so, they are effectively saying it was her fault and she deserved it for not paying attention while simultaneously implying that she is a substandard linesperson (presumably because she is a woman). The only person at fault here is Djokovic and he was dealt with appropriately.

Your husband is wrong. The point had ended, the line judge had a reasonable expectation that no balls would be coming at her as none were in play.

Thank you. I know basically nothing about tennis really. So he's even more ignorant than I thought!

As others have said, if we did this in our workplace, we'd expect much bigger sanctions. Doctor lashes a scalpel behind them without looking? I'm a teacher. It really wouldn't be ok if I hurled my water bottle across the room. If we can all control our temper, so can he. He's just entitled.

He never threw it gently Kyle

He hit it with his racquet. It hit an official in the throat

I watched the match

Juniors ar3 taught not to do this as players/officials/ crowd are not watching the ball as the ball is not in play and Can be dangerous

It was correct for him to be defaulted

.

I don't see why it matters whether it was intentional or not. He let a ball fly and it hit a judge. Maybe next time he will think twice before having a hissy fit and he will take more care. And I'm now seeing the judge is getting loads of abuse online - lots of men calling her a 'Karen'. Women, you can't even get negligently injured now without it being your fault apparently!

And in those top-down structures when those in power - who are usually men - can operate with impunity both sexes suffer. But inevitably women suffer more.

That I can agree with, wholeheartedly.

I don't like Djokovic at all, but there is no way he would have hit a linesman or woman on purpose, because it's well known that that usually means instant disqualification.

Considering it's the second time he's hit a woman with a ball m.youtube.com/watch?v=KXvW7f8Q1U0 , I'm leaning towards intentional.
I don't watch sports, though. Maybe it's normal for professional tennis players to accidentally hit others with their tennis balls.

Pretty sure that one was accidental! Ball boys and ball girls getting hit with a ball that's in play happens reasonably often. It's an occupational hazard.

@Wanderingstars4238 that was clearly a difficult serve to return and it didn’t go where he planned. Why we would he waste a point by deliberately hitting the ball girl? Look at his face when he realised what had happened.

Listen to the way the commentators are talking about him getting the ball girl’s number and giving her a kiss better. The video is titled SEXY ball girl. That’s where the issue is-the objectifying of women.

Yep, that was gross.

"Considering it's the second time he's hit a woman with a ball m.youtube.com/watch?v=KXvW7f8Q1U0 , I'm leaning towards intentional."

So you think that he took the time during a match to intentionally hit a ball girl and cost himself a point, and that he also decided the best way to execute this plan successfully was when he was returning a serve.

I mean it's an interesting wind up but you've got to tone down the spectacular stupidity if you want people to bite

I watched the match (big tennis fan) and saw the incident replayed from multiple angles. I am not keen on Djokovic and am as big as a feminist as they come (my partner frequently has to put up with my rants against the male race) but I cannot get exercised about this being an incident of male rage against a woman. It looked like he was just knocking the ball back diagonally to the ballkid at the end of the game like every player does.

A few minutes before he had hit a ball in anger but that looked very different.

Yes, the treatment that the woman got on social media after is unforgiveable and it would have been better if Djokovic had stayed to do the presser and been humble but I really think it's a step too far to make this a feminist issue. The line judges swop over every few games and it could easily have been a man sat there. Djokovic knocked the ball back without looking because it was the end of the game and it was very unfortunate (in my opinion).

By the way, I'm not saying he shouldn't have been disqualified as intent is irrelevant, according to the rule.

On the 5 set issue, I do find it difficult to believe that women can't play 5 sets. Women can run marathons and, I believe, have been shown to be slightly better than men at running ultra long distances.

One of the reasons men complain about women playing 3 sets is that it frees them up to play doubles so they potentially have access to more prize money at tournaments. Because 5 set matches can go on for longer, some male tennis players can't commit to playing doubles.

I'd personally be in favour of women playing 5 sets if they wanted to.

And the misogyny comes from the fact he's starting a breakaway tennis association but initially didn't think to include any female players

I have yet to see any explanation why he should not do this - beyond a sort of general whinging that it's not fair. Yet on another thread a poster states "If women are not free to organise on the basis of being women" So it would presumably be perfectly fine for female tennis players to have their own group?

As others have said

That he didn't aim at her doesn't matter. The rukes are clear, and exist for very good reasons. He defaulted. His Seeding can't negate that! And his attitude afterwards was revolting!

He had already earned a soft warning, a cough I believe, when he whacked a ball at the hoarding. That's a temper thing and is officaily proscribed - abuse of the ball is ANYTHNG outside of actual play.

When you clear a ball it is supposed to be done carefully, eye contact with the intended recipient, into the space the runner/ball boy/girl is heading into. Happens every match, every training session ever undertaken!

Line judges do not gather up loose balls!

As for his misogyny ask him where the invitations for female players to join to his new Tennis association went!

Female athletes train the same as the men. In most tournaments EVERYONE PLAYS THREE!!! It's just the slams that have the discrepency. That was to show off the male prowess, making the Slams what they are - prestigious, hard, worth winning!

Slam tennis is very old fashioned and hasn't changed its set up. That's as much becasue of time constraints as anything else - that's being kind and not accusing them of the same rank misogyny their Victorian predecessors had when they set those rules!

But women have played five sets for over 100 years! Yes! Go figure! For example before the U.S. National Championships became the U.S. Open women played 5 sets in the final. That was in 1890 ish with full length skirts and petticoats! FFS!

That was part of Billie Jean Kings fight for parity! Men were payed more, justified by playing more. Women didn't make that choice, men running tennis did! WOmen like BJK fought it tooth and nail! As many other women fought other pay gaps!

Hell, players actually voted to play 6 sets in the mid 1970s. But the organisers chose not to hear that! Ask Chris Evert and the Women's Tennis Association. 3 sets was not their choice! Ask Martina how she felt at not being able to show the same prowess, skill and fitness levels as her male counterparts. How she felt when that restriction was temporarily lifted an she found that her specific training had negative impact on her abilty to play over 5 sets (granted Graf, Seles and Sabatini were blood magnificent)

And back to 3 sets they went!

Nope! I do not like tennis... I.....

Are you actually suggesting that he picked out a woman at the side of the court and managed to hit her square in her throat from the far end of the court?? Because he was in a mood and hates all women so he'd feel much better taking it out on her?? Come off it

I have yet to see any explanation why he should not do this It was his statements about it that make it misogynistic! Women being just a mess of hormones and all, it's not at all odd we are worth less!

Nothing he has done since he was reminded that he looked like a knob has fully redeemed him!

His split from the ATP was to separate the male players from the oversight of tournament organisers, OK. Could be a good move!

He didn't even have to ask individual women players. He could simply have contacted the WTA!