The shocking incident happened when he lost his serve to go 6-5 down in the first set to Spain's Pablo Carreno Busta during the fourth round of the U.S. Open. He showed his frustration by taking a ball out of his pocket and smacking it behind him, hitting a female line judge in the throat.
Djokovic clearly did not aim for the referee, but when he saw her collapse to the ground, he rushed to check on her. He attempted to console her by putting his hand on her back, while chair umpire Aurelie Tourte and tournament referee Soeren Friemel also joined him on the court.
Djokovic didn't attend the mandatory press conference to tell his side of the story, but hours after his exit, he took to Instagram to issue a public apology.
"This whole situation has left me really sad and empty. I checked on the lines person and the tournament told me that thank God she is feeling OK," he said.
"I'm extremely sorry to have caused her such stress. So unintended. So wrong. I'm not disclosing her name to respect her privacy. As for the disqualification, I need to go back within and work on my disappointment and turn this all into a lesson for my growth and evolution as a player and human being," he added.
"I apologize to the U.S. Open tournament and everyone associated for my behavior. I'm very grateful to my team and family for being my rock support, and my fans for always being there with me. Thank you and I'm so sorry."
Djokovic was the favorite to win the men's title at the U.S. Open and his disqualification means a new Grand Slam champion will emerge for the first time in six years.
"Now it gets interesting," said Alexander Zverev, who became the first German to reach the U.S. Open quarter-finals in 13 years after cruising past Alejandro Davidovich Fokina on Sunday.
Neka im je na cast, samo cu to reci.