Umpire who disqualified Novak Djokovic lets rival off for exact same offence | Tennis | Sport

The umpire who defaulted Novak Djokovic at the US Open in 2020 chose not to disqualify Alex Michelsen for the same offence on Saturday. Djokovic was ejected from the tournament at Flushing Meadows three years ago when he let his fury get the better of him.

The Serb was trailing Pablo Carreno Busta in the fourth round when he inadvertently hit a line judge in the throat with a ball smacked in anger. After the ball was struck, it was immediately clear that she was hurt and Djokovic rushed over to check on her condition.

It led to Djokovic being thrown out of the US Open with the umpire, Aurelie Tourte, applying the rules correctly to hand down the punishment. He pleaded his case at length before accepting his fate, collecting his rackets and walking off the court.

For some reason, Tourte chose not to disqualify Michelsen for hitting a fan with a ball during his defeat to Lorenzo Sonego. The two players were facing off in the final of the Winston-Salem Open, taking place in North Carolina just days before the start of this year’s US Open.

After losing a point, Michelsen launched a ball into the crowd in frustration which ended up striking a spectator. He immediately recognised his mistake and looked on anxiously, with the 19-year-old worried about the potential repercussions.

However, the match was eventually allowed to continue after the fan reassured Tourte that she was okay after being checked over. Michelsen also apologised to the spectator before resuming play, with the contest ending in a 6-0 6-4 victory for Sonego.

Andy Roddick was quick to point out the double standards on display, insisting that Michelsen should have been defaulted. He also claimed that Djokovic was ‘way more unlucky’ in his situation, arguing that hitting a line judge and a spectator were equally serious offences.

“If you fire one hard and hit a fan, kinda the same to me as an umpire,” said Roddick on X, formerly Twitter. “Action the same. One just way more unlucky. Michelsen reacted like he thought he was toast.”

Djokovic was very apologetic after being disqualified from the US Open in 2020, insisting that he never meant to hit the line judge and admitting that it left him feeling ‘sad and empty’. In a statement published on Instagram, he also pledged to work on his ‘growth and evolution as a player and human being’.