Who was defaulted from the 2020 US Open after hitting a line judge with a ball?

Novak Djokovic was defaulted from the 2020 US Open after hitting a line judge with a ball.

The incident occurred during Djokovic’s fourth-round match against Pablo Carreño Busta. After losing his serve to trail 5–6 in the opening set, Djokovic struck a ball in frustration toward the back of the court. It hit a line judge in the throat, and tournament referee Soeren Friemel defaulted Djokovic under the Grand Slam rules.

Djokovic immediately checked on the official and apologized, and there was no claim that he intended to hit her. However, the rules allow a default for striking a ball dangerously or recklessly, even when the resulting contact is accidental. The official’s injury and the circumstances made the decision final and unappealable.

The default ended Djokovic’s 2020 US Open campaign before he had lost a completed match. It also ended his 26–0 start to the season and made him the first top-seeded player to be disqualified from a Grand Slam singles tournament.