Why Novak Djokovic’s message in a bottle caused a revolution at the Australian Open

Novak Djokovic continues to steadily advance toward its tenth consecration in Australian Open and 22nd in a Grand Slam tournament. The Serbian, who returned to play the “big” ocean after last year’s controversial expulsion, linked to his refusal to get vaccinated against Covid, reached the quarterfinals crushing 6-2, 6-1 and 6-2 local Alex DeMinau22nd seed. “This victory gives me reasons to think I can win the title”, celebrated. Even if all is not rosy for the former Melbourne number one: on the eve of the match against the Australian, he was once again at the center of a controversy about “coaching”, which in the end was not.

Is that hours before jumping onto the field to face De Miñaur, he started circulating Chirping a video that triggered an alarm. In the images, taken during the second round duel, Djokovic beat the Frenchman in four sets Enzo Couacaudyou see that Milan Amavichis physiotherapist, prepares a bottle and then hands it to the general referee of the tournament, who, with the authorization of the chair referee, brings it to Djokovic. Freight he takes the bottle and realizes that a slip of paper has been attached to it: he grabs it, reads it and puts it away.

The criticisms against the Balkans were not slow to manifest themselves. Social networks filled with comments accusing him of cheating and underlining that receiving instructions from his bank in a note is a violation of the regulation. Many forgot, perhaps, that the educate during matches it has been allowed since January 1 this year, after being approved by the ATP after a testing process in the second half of last season.

The question, therefore, was whether the way the Serbian would be trained -and it’s worth saying there would be, because nobody knows what that piece of paper was and if it actually said anything- it was legal. From the Spanish blog breaking point They contacted the Australian Grand Slam authorities and clarified the situation.

As explained by that site, in Australia (where the rules are almost the same as those of the ATP) the verbal coaching -short phrases and instructions-, provided they are carried out when the player is on the same side of the pitch as his bench; and the Not verbal (signs or hand gestures), which can be performed from anywhere, as long as they do not annoy the opponent.

Players can even come to their box to talk to their coach during a game Doctor timeout opponent, a bathroom break or the last 90 seconds of a thermal break.

And since in the regulation it is not possible to contemplate all the ways in which the player can communicate with his team during the match, it is established that it is up to the chair umpire to evaluate whether an infringement has been committed.

From this information it is clear that Djokovic and his team did not cheat. The Serbian could have received the same indications that would have reached him in that “ticket” by approaching his desk in one of those granted moments.

Nole’s other “controversy” in Melbourne

This “failed controversy” wasn’t the only one Djokovic has been involved in at this year’s Australian Grand Slam. Clash in the first round, in which he beat the Spaniards 6-3, 6-4 and 6-0 Roberto Carballes Baenastarred in another situation that was much criticized.

In the video, which also went viral, we see that, when only five games had been played in the opening set, Freight Ask permission to go to the bathroom. Even if the response of the party authorities is not listened to, it seems that it is denied, because when the Serb runs towards the changing rooms, another official is seen trying to intercept the Serb and stop him.

Quickly, the referee warns that if he doesn’t come back quickly, he will penalize him. The Serbian returns in time to receive a serve from his rival and avoids the penalty. But the sequence earned him the disapproval of many – including the journalists in charge of broadcasting the match on the Eurosport signal – who singled it out as a “defiance of authority”.

The Serbian was not slow to come out at the crossroads of criticism. “Next time, be careful what you post. Please check your information before posting something critical and wrong,” he wrote on Instagram, directly addressing that European TV network.

“The chair umpire let me go to the bathroom, but told me I didn’t have a break for that, just to change. So he told me (the cameras didn’t catch it) that I had to hurry. When I was almost off the track she called me (I didn’t hear from her) and it was to tell me that the bathroom was on the opposite side of the field, I found one in the stadium area she was inside and had to hurry. I didn’t ‘challenge’ her or her rules. She gave me permission and told me to go fast. You have a responsibility towards many sports fans,” he concluded.

The Serbian will face the Russian in the quarterfinals Andrei Rublevfifth favourite.