Miyu Kato and Aldila Sutjiadi were disqualified from their third-round match in the French Open women's doubles tournament after Kato inadvertently struck a ball girl with a tennis ball.
During a break in play in the second set, Kato hit a backhand toward the ball girl. The girl's attention was toward Marie Bouzkova and Sara Sorribes Tormo, who were on serve, so she didn't see the ball coming. She was left visibly shaken.
Tennis Channel @TennisChannela tough scene in Paris. Doubles partners Kato/Sutjiadi just got defaulted as Kato hit a ball girl accidentally at 6-7(1), 3-1.<a href="">#RolandGarros</a> <a href="">
According to Reuters (via ESPN.com), umpire Alexandre Juge initially gave Kato a warning before deliberating further and defaulting Kato and Sutjiadi. Sorribes Tormo and Bouzkova had approached Juge to say the girl was "crying" and "has blood."
Kato and Sutjiadi had dropped the first set 6-7(1) and were leading 3-1 in the second set when the match ended.
The situation calls to mind Novak Djokovic's default at the 2020 U.S. Open. The 22-time Grand Slam champion was competing in the fourth round against Pablo Carreno Busta when he hit the ball toward the back wall and accidentally struck a lineswoman.
"For the purposes of this Rule, abuse of balls is defined as intentionally hitting a ball out of the enclosure of the court, hitting a ball dangerously or recklessly within the court or hitting a ball with negligent disregard of the consequences," the rule reads.
