Novak Djokovic 'Bad Boy of Tennis', US Open fiasco 'a stain which won't go': John McEnroe

After World No.1 Novak Djokovic's disqualification from the US Open 2020, tennis legend John McEnroe believes that the incident will become 'a stain he's not going to be able to erase'. The former Grand Slam champion, in an interview with ESPN, claimed that off-court pressures got the better of Djokovic, which led to an unfortunate incident. He also said that it would be interesting to see how the Serb coped emotionally with this blow and if he embraced it to come back stronger from it. He also criticised Djokovic for not owning up immediately and skipping the press session after the match. 

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Why was Novak Djokovic disqualified?

After losing a service game to Spain's Pablo Carreno Busta, Djokovic smacked a stray ball that hit a lineswoman in the neck. Djokovic was straight away defaulted for the violation of the rules of physical abuse. This law states that "Players shall not at any time physically abuse any official, opponent, spectator or other person within the precincts of the tournament site." The law also states that "In all cases of default, the decision of the Referee in consultation with the Grand Slam Chief of Supervisors shall be final and unappealable", leaving Djokovic no chance to make his case. For this violation, Djokovic will lose all ranking points earned from the US Open 2020 and may be fined the prize money he has won at the tournament. 

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McEnroe no stranger to Grand Slam defaults

Labelled as the 'Superbrat' by British tabloids after his outbursts at the Wimbledon Championships back in his day, McEnroe reached his rock bottom very early on in his controversy-filled career. In 1990, McEnroe was disqualified from the Australian Open after receiving three code violations. The first for unsportsmanlike conduct, the second for racquet abuse and the third for continuously hurling audible abuses at both, the chair umpire and the Grand Slam chief of supervisors. At that time, it had been 17 years since someone had been disqualified from a Grand Slam match. McEnroe was also famously docked two points after his famous "You cannot be serious" tirade at the 1981 Wimbledon tournament.  

In his interview with ESPN, McEnroe does admit that he is no stranger to making already high-pressure situations worse for himself by lashing out. He also said that Djokovic was 'going to be the bad guy for the rest of his career whether he liked it or not.' He also expressed his amazement at the fact that Djokovic would do something so "bone-headed" in "a situation where he was the overwhelming favourite." McEnroe added that he would be interested to see how other players and fans would react to this situation and how Djokovic himself would deal with it. 

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As someone who seems to have always tried to be a positive force in the game, Djokovic's apology on social media after the incident gave a hint about the remorse he felt for that incident. However, despite his obvious heartbreak, many tennis lovers and social media users seem to be against him, with a flurry of memes following his exit. 

Also Read | US Open 2020: USTA Issues Statement On Default Of Novak Djokovic

Image Credits: AP