- Novak Djokovic has pleaded with fans to stop abusing the line judge at the centre of his expulsion from the US Open.
- The Serbian accidentally hit Laura Clark in the throat with a ball on Sunday, after which he was defaulted from the tournament and stripped of his prize money.
- Clark was swiftly targetted by online trolls, some of whom mocked her about the tragic death of her son in 2008.
- "She's done nothing wrong at all," Djokovic tweeted. "I ask you to stay especially supportive and caring to her during this time."
Novak Djokovic has pleaded with fans to stop abusing the line judge at the centre of his US Open expulsion after she was targeted by vile online trolls who mocked her about the tragic death of her son.
The Serbian was disqualified from the US Open on Sunday after he accidentally struck line judge Laura Clark in the throat with a ball which he had batted away in frustration.
Clark fell to the floor after being hit and could be heard groaning in pain and making noises that sounded as though she was having trouble breathing.
While not seriously injured, Clark was left with bruising, according to Sky Sports.
Soon after the incident, however, she came under attack online by users claiming to be fans of Djokovic who claimed that she exaggerated her injuries to get the Serbian star disqualified. There is no evidence that this is at all true.
One abuser on Twitter called her a "drunk b----" while another said that they hoped she would "rot in hell," according to News Australia.
On an Instagram post Clark had dedicated to her late son Josh, who died aged in a bicycle accident in 2008, a user with a photo of Djokovic as their profile picture said: "Don't worry you'll join him soon."
Clark has since made her Instagram profile private, and Djokovic has called for the abuse to stop.
"Dear #NoleFam thank you for your positive messages," he tweeted.
"Please also remember the linesperson that was hit by the ball last night needs our community's support too. She's done nothing wrong at all. I ask you to stay especially supportive and caring to her during this time.
"From these moments, we grow stronger and we rise above. Sharing love with everyone. Europe here I come."
A spoke person for the US Open provided an update on Clark's condition on Monday, saying, according to Sky Sports: "The line umpire who was struck by the ball is resting comfortably in the hotel today and is under the observation of the tournament doctor and will return to work when she and the doctor feel it is appropriate."
As well as being disqualified from the tournament, Djokovic was stripped of his $250,000 prize money and fined an additional $10,000 for failing to attend a mandatory press conference.
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