Novak Djokovic narrowly avoided being thrown out of the Australian Open during his third round encounter with Botic van de Zandschulp after a furious outburst that endangered a ball girl.
The Serbian star lost his composure midway through the second set, striking a ball in frustration that hurtled past a young court attendant positioned at the net.
Had the ball's trajectory been marginally different, the 10-time Melbourne champion would almost certainly have faced disqualification from the tournament.
The incident occurred after van de Zandschulp missed a shot, prompting Djokovic to lash out in a moment of anger that could have brought a premature end to what may prove his final bid for an 11th Australian Open crown.
The Dutchman had appeared on the verge of withdrawing from the contest earlier in the set, receiving treatment from tournament medical staff for a troublesome shoulder complaint.
Djokovic had seized control of proceedings by claiming the opening set and established a commanding 3-0 advantage in the second.
However, van de Zandschulp refused to surrender, battling through his physical difficulties to mount an unexpected recovery.
Novak Djokovic narrowly avoided being thrown out of the Australian Open during his third round encounter with Botic van de Zandschulp after a furious outburst that endangered a ball girl
|GETTY
This fightback from the injured underdog visibly irritated the Serbian veteran, whose frustration boiled over into the dangerous moment that followed.
The 38-year-old's inability to close out his struggling opponent cleanly appeared to trigger the explosive reaction that nearly cost him his place in the draw.
The alarming scene drew immediate parallels to Djokovic's infamous disqualification from the 2020 US Open, when he inadvertently struck a line judge with a ball during a fourth round match.
LATEST SPORTS NEWS:
Novak Djokovic nearly hit a ballkid while smashing the ball away against Botic Van de Zandschulp.
— edgeAI (@edgeAIapp) January 24, 2026
Had it hit the ballkid he would be looking at a possible disqualification..
Umpire didn’t give out a warning.pic.twitter.com/0l9SjKAECX
That earlier incident resulted in his automatic removal from the tournament, yet this latest near-miss in Melbourne suggests the lesson may not have been fully absorbed nearly six years on.
"Oh my goodness," exclaimed former British No 1 Tim Henman, watching events unfold in his capacity as a TNT Sports commentator.
Both Henman and fellow commentator Nick Lester observed that Djokovic appeared reluctant to make eye contact with the chair umpire following the close call that could have ended his campaign.
Tennis legend John McEnroe has expressed scepticism about Djokovic's prospects in Melbourne, suggesting the Serbian cannot overcome both Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner in consecutive matches to claim the title.
Former British number one Greg Rusedski, however, has urged caution against dismissing the greatest male player in tennis history.
"We all feel that, but boy was he good in his opening round and let's look at one statistic. 100 wins Down Under in Australia and he has done that in three of the four Slams," Rusedski said on his Off Court Cuts podcast.
Novak Djokovic remains in contention to win another Australian Open title
| REUTERSThe 38-year-old has amassed an extraordinary 400 victories at Grand Slam tournaments throughout his career.
"Don't discount Novak if he can move through the rounds easily," Rusedski added.
Despite losing his cool, Djokovic was able to overcome his opponent.
He remains in contention to win an 11th Australian Open crown as a result.