"Novak Djokovic would've been sent to prison for this" - Tennis fans react to Tommy Paul accidentally hitting the umpire at Cincinnati Open

Several tennis fans were reminded of Novak Djokovic when Tommy Paul accidentally hit the chair umpire during a Cincinnati Open match.

Paul was up against World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz in the third round of the tournament on Thursday (August 17). During the match, one of his serves hit the chair umpire.

The American quickly ran towards the umpire and apologized. The umpire also brushed it aside and seemingly agreed that it was an accident.

Novak Djokovic, meanwhile, was infamously disqualified from the 2020 US Open after he inadvertently hit a line umpire with a tennis ball.

The Serb was playing a fourth-round match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the New York Major that year. During the first set Djokovic accidentally hit the linesperson in the throat, which caused her visible pain and distress.

After a lengthy discussion with the officials, the former World No. 1 was disqualified from the tournament.

Tennis fans reacted to the incident involving Tommy Paul on Thursday, turning to social media to express their views. Many claimed that Djokovic would have faced harsher punishment if he had been involved in something similar.

"We already know what would have happened if Djokovic had done it, right?," one fan wrote.

Another fan on Twitter joked about how the Serb would be charged with attempt to murder for the same incident.

"If it was djokovic.. Umpire would probably fall on the ground neck first and disqualified djoker and put attempt to murder charge on him," the fan tweeted.

Many other fans also imagined how the situation would have unfolded had it been the Serb instead of Paul.

"Novak would've been sent to prison for this," one user said.

"Serious question and not fangirling or anything but how come he wasn't disqualified while Novak was at the US Open in 2021 [2020] or so?" another fan questioned.

Fan reactions

Below are a few more fan reactions:

Some more fan reactions

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Novak Djokovic will take on Taylor Fritz in the quarterfinals of the Cincinnati Open

Novak Djokovic in action at the Western & Southern Open

Novak Djokovic is also competing at the Cincinnati Open, and his return to the US has been impressive so far. The Serb beat Gael Monfils in the third round of the tournament and will take on Taylor Fritz in the quarterfinals.

Djokovic received a bye in the first round. Up against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the second, the 23-time Grand Slam winner won the first set and was leading the second when the Spaniard retired due to an injury.

Fritz, on the other hand, beat Jiri Lehecka and Lorenzo Sonego in the first two rounds. In the third round his opponent Dusan Lajovic retired midway, setting up a blockbuster quarterfinal clash with the World No. 2.