Novak Djokovic, the No. 1 men’s player and No. 1 seed in the US Open, was disqualified from the tournament on Sunday after inadvertently striking a lineswoman with a ball hit in frustration.
Djokovic was defaulted when trailing 5-6 in the first set in the fourth round against Pablo Carreño Busta. After losing the final point of the game, he pulled a ball from his pocket and smacked it with his racket toward the back of the court. It hit the lineswoman in the throat. She later walked off the court, and Djokovic was defaulted after a lengthy discussion with the tournament referee.