A careless swipe of the racquet could have brought back some very uncomfortable memories for Novak Djokovic. On Saturday, Djokovic made history by becoming the first player ever to reach 400 singles wins at Grand Slams, beating Botic van de Zandschulp 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (4). But Djokovic’s run nearly took a scary turn after a sudden flash of frustration.

The moment came when the 24-time Grand Slam champion was leading 6-3, 4-2. After Van de Zandschulp’s fast return flew long for deuce, Djokovic slapped the ball away in frustration, and it sailed uncomfortably close to a ball girl near the net, as she ducked away.

Realizing how close it was, Djokovic immediately raised his hand to apologize and turned around. The incident came up again in his post-match press conference, and Djokovic didn’t hesitate to say sorry once more:

“I apologized for that. That was not necessary and in the heat of the moment. I was lucky there and I’m sorry for causing any distress to the ball kid or anybody,” he told the media.

Indeed, that was luck doing some heavy lifting. Another push toward a record 25th Grand Slam title could easily have ended because of one careless moment.

“I don’t even think he knew the ball kid was there. But it was three inches from getting defaulted,” said Pat Cash on BBC Radio 5 Live. Jim Courier, speaking on Nine, also reacted to the moment, saying, “That was dangerous, that went right over the top of her head.”

If the ball girl was hit, Djokovic’s tournament could have ended in the same painful way it did at the 2020 US Open when he was DQed for hitting a line judge with a ball by accident.

Indeed, tournament referee Wayne McKewen would have had clear grounds to step in and potentially default him for ball abuse, per the Grand Slam rulebook:

“Abuse of balls is defined as… hitting a ball dangerously or recklessly within the court or hitting a ball with negligent disregard of the consequences… The referee in consultation with the Grand Slam supervisor may declare a default for either a single violation of this code or pursuant to the point penalty schedule.”

Regardless, Novak Djokovic went on to win, and his Australian Open record now stands at 102 wins and just 10 losses. That result draws him level with Roger Federer for the most match wins at the season’s opening Grand Slam.

Already a 10-time champion in Melbourne, Djokovic knows he can’t afford moments like this. He’ll need to keep his emotions in check, especially after having similar scares before.

Novak Djokovic can’t risk another costly mistake

Back in 2020, Novak Djokovic was disqualified in the fourth round of the US Open after hitting a ball backwards at the end of a game. The ball struck a lineswoman, who was clearly in distress and clutching her throat. Djokovic immediately went over to check on her, but the incident led to his disqualification.

Afterwards, Djokovic shared how shaken he was by the moment. “This whole situation has left me really sad and empty,” he wrote on Instagram in 2020. However, it wasn’t the first time something like this had happened.

At the 2007 Madrid Open, during a second-round match against Fernando Verdasco, Djokovic tried to blast a return down the line. He slightly misjudged it, and the ball flew toward the head of a ball girl.

Both players froze as soon as it happened. Djokovic instantly showed regret, putting his hands on his head and looking down before quickly going over to check if she was okay.

Now, with Djokovic set to face Jakub Menšík in the fourth round on Monday, all eyes will be on him – not just for his tennis, but for how he handles the moment.