Djokovic lost his temper and nearly hit a ball boy; the referee showed leniency to avoid another disqualification.

At the Australian Open, Djokovic was pursuing a landmark 25th Grand Slam trophy on the court where he has been most commanding. Against Van de Zandschulp, moving into the fourth round appeared straightforward until a sudden tense incident occurred—Djokovic nearly hit a ball boy during a stroke, nearly causing him to be defaulted.

Midway through the second set, with Djokovic leading 4-2, danger nearly struck. After a mistake allowed his opponent to level the score, a frustrated Djokovic vented by hitting the ball aggressively. The ball sped toward the net, narrowly missing a ball boy who quickly ducked to avoid it.

This dramatic moment immediately drew reactions from the commentators. Tim Henman, a former British No.1 commentating for TNT Sports, exclaimed, “Oh my goodness.” The incident quickly became the focal point of the match.

Commentators Nick Lester and Henman discussed the tense atmosphere on court, noting Djokovic seemed to deliberately avoid eye contact with the umpire. Had he been disqualified, it would have ended his bid for an 11th Australian Open title, possibly his last chance, but the match continued.

Djokovic maintained control after winning the first set. Meanwhile, Van de Zandschulp appeared close to withdrawing due to a shoulder issue. He received treatment from the tournament physiotherapist and looked visibly uncomfortable on court.

Despite this, Van de Zandschulp chose to persevere. Starting from a 0-3 deficit in the second set, his resilient fight clearly irritated the 10-time Australian Open champion. Frankly, Djokovic showed signs of frustration multiple times during this third-round match. In a tense moment later, he expressed his anger toward umpire John Blom.

At that time, Van de Zandschulp led 6-5 in the third set as Djokovic prepared to serve. He appeared disturbed and displeased, and as emotions escalated on Rod Laver Arena, the Serbian openly showed his displeasure.

Even with a two-set lead, Djokovic was forced into a tough battle. Van de Zandschulp raised his level in the third set, testing Djokovic’s patience with his determined play. As tensions rose, umpire John Blom asked the crowd to remain silent during points, helping restore order at a critical stage.

Djokovic responded with action. He regained composure, held serve, and pushed the match into a tiebreak. Despite earlier emotional swings, he found focus when it mattered most. Ultimately, Djokovic won the tiebreak 7-4 and closed out the match, playing several high-quality points under pressure. Van de Zandschulp fought hard, but Djokovic steadied himself.

This victory was a milestone. Djokovic won 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(4), marking his 400th Grand Slam main-draw win—the first player in history to reach this feat. His total wins surpassed Federer’s 369 and Nadal’s 314. Jimmy Connors followed with 233, and Andre Agassi with 224.

Although he avoided disqualification this time, the outcome was very different in 2020. Djokovic’s default at the 2020 US Open became the tournament’s defining moment. The world No.1 exited in shocking fashion during his fourth-round match against Busta.

At the incident, Djokovic was trailing in the first set. Serving at 5-5, he was broken by Carreno Busta who then led 6-5 and was about to serve for the set. Shortly after, in frustration, Djokovic accidentally hit a ball behind him that struck a line judge in the throat. Djokovic immediately rushed to her side; the match was halted while officials assessed the situation. A lengthy discussion followed between Djokovic, the umpire, and tournament referees.

After review, Busta was awarded the match. The decision was based on tennis’s Code of Conduct, which penalizes players for misconduct such as racket throwing or aggressive ball striking. According to the 2020 Grand Slam rulebook’s “point penalty system,” penalties escalate: first a warning, then point penalty, and eventually game penalty for repeated offenses.

In Djokovic’s case, officials applied the third rule—“player misconduct on court”—which mandates immediate default. The tournament referee, Soren Friemel, made the final decision to disqualify him.

Afterward, Djokovic issued an apology on Instagram. Years later, at the Australian Open, he nearly faced a similar fate again. This time, he remained in the tournament and advanced to the fourth round. As the event continues amid extreme heat, patience and discipline may prove decisive factors on his path to another Grand Slam title.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Spark)