French Open 2020 - 'Terrible moment' - Novak Djokovic incidents bring back DQ memory for Tim Henman

ByDan Quarrell

Updated 07/10/2020 at 17:27 GMT

Tim Henman has reflected on the time he hit someone with a ball like Novak Djokovic did at the US Open and, most recently, accidentally at the 2020 French Open. Henman was disqualified from the men's doubles at Wimbledon early in his career and can emphasise with the 'shock' of such an incident happening, as Djokovic also knows.

Novak Djokovic and Tim Henman have something unfortunate in common with both men having been disqualified for hitting a ball at someone on court, and the Eurosport expert has shared his memories.

The top seed struck a line judge again in yet another unfortunate incident, just weeks after he was disqualified for doing so at the US Open. This time, however, it was entirely accidental as the world number one tried to return a Karen Khachanov serve in their last-16 match.

It was a scary moment for Djokovic after his experience in New York, and Henman has reflected on what he went through at Wimbledon and also what the world number one must have felt in recent weeks.

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First on Djokovic accidentally hitting the line judge at Roland Garros, Henman said it was a 'huge shock' to everyone.

'Terrible moment' - Henman on hitting line judge like Djokovic

"This whole episode in New York, the disqualification, was a huge shock to the tennis community, to Djokovic and probably the whole of sport," Henman said.

"So in this next Grand Slam, so close together, this is where Djokovic's mental strength is important."

• 'It's a nightmare!' - Henman reacts to Djokovic hitting line judge accidentally
• Djokovic hits line judge in the head by accident to evoke US Open DQ

Recalling his own incident in 1995, when he accidentally hit a ball girl with a stray ball, Henman said it is an awful thing to happen.

Watch Djokovic hit line judge on the head by accident

"At the time you are definitely not joking about it," he told Barbara Schett in the Eurosport studio.

It did happen to me a long, long time ago and when I got disqualified at Wimbledon it was a terrible moment.

"That will still be very raw in Djokovic's mind, so then to have this very unfortunate circumstance where it's in a rally so there is nothing untoward about it.

"He realises that it is still very fresh in everyone's mind and I think he has handled it well. He's got to put that behind him."

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