By Matt Hardy
Novak Djokovic will undergo head injury tests after he was struck with a bottle at the Italian Open on the eve of the French Open.
The Serbian was signing autographs after his shock 6-2 6-3 defeat to Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo in Rome before a bottle fell out of a fan’s backpack and onto the world No1’s head.
Djokovic: A bit concerning
“It was a very unfortunate, unlucky situation for me,” Djokovic said. “It was an accident where that guy leaned over the fence, and the bottle dropped from his rucksack and landed directly on my head.
“It was unexpected, obviously. I wasn’t even looking up. Then I felt a very strong hit in the head. That has, yeah, really impacted me a lot. Been through half an hour, an hour of nausea, dizziness, blood, a lot of different things.
“I managed to sleep okay. I had headaches. The next day was pretty fine, so I thought it’s okay. Maybe it is okay. Maybe it’s not.
“I mean, the way I felt on the court today was just completely like a different player entered into my shoes. Just no rhythm, no tempo, no balance whatsoever on any shot.
“It’s a bit concerning. I didn’t do any scans or any tests. Right now, I feel like I should do it, so I will do it and let’s see. Let’s see what’s happening.”
Djokovic will hope he is healthy enough to head to Paris to defend the French Open title he won against Casper Ruud last year.
I didn’t do any scans or any tests. Right now, I feel like I should do it.
The Serbian has won three titles at Roland Garros and could return to the French capital for the Paris 2024 Olympics this summer.
Tabilo will take on Karen Khachanov in the round of 16.
Elsewhere on Sunday Taylor Fritz beat Sebastian Korda in straight sets while Aryna Sabalenka toppled Dayana Yastremska 6-4 6-2.
