Did tennis superstar Novak Djokovic cheat at the Australian Open and receive unauthorized help from his coaching staff during a match? This accusation was raised after a video was uploaded to the TikTok platform showing a possible offense by the Serb.
Novak Djokovic continues to make the headlines at the Australian Open. After there was a lot of talk about his trouble-free entry this time, then about his injured thigh and finally about a skirmish with some fans in the stands, there are now allegations of cheating against the superstar.
A video recorded by a spectator in the stadium and uploaded to the TikTok platform shows a Serb’s supervisor sticking a small piece of paper on a drinking bottle and then handing it over to the court supervisor.
After the employee gave Djokovic the bottle, the superstar looked up into his box and ripped the note from the bottle. Then he crumples it up and puts it in his pocket.
For many fans, the matter is clear. They believe: Djokovic received unauthorized tips from his coaches during the match. The question is: What does the rulebook say about such a case? This is where it gets a bit complicated.
Novak Djokovic uses loophole in tennis rules
Direct contact and coaching during matches is generally permitted at the Australian Open, but there are strict rules for this.
The players are only allowed to talk to their own coaches if they are on the same side of the pitch. If the player is on the other side of the field, the parties may only communicate with each other using hand signals and gestures. The same applies to the time between two service games.
However, the procedure for written messages, which are not taken into account in this form in the set of rules, is not officially defined.
Many fans who commented on the clip on social media believe that Djokovic and his team broke the rules on the scene. In such a case there is no rule at all. The Serb simply used a loophole that many didn’t even know about.
