Novak Djokovic apologises for hitting spectator in Qatar final

Novak Djokovic of Serbia celebrates after winning the Qatar Open 2017 final. Photo/AP Photos

Novak Djokovic has apologised for hitting a spectator with a ball during his Qatar Open final victory, declaring he will accept the consequences of his actions.

The world No.2 was warned by umpire Carlos Bernardes for swatting the ball away in anger, bouncing it into a courtside spectator.

While some commentators argued Djokovic should have been defaulted for the first-set incident, Bernardes exercised discretion.

Djokovic was later docked a point for furiously destroying a racquet, before completing a cliffhanger win over world No.1 Andy Murray.

Djokovic said he had no intention of hitting the female spectator, only two months after an eerily similar episode at the ATP World Tour Finals in London.

He revealed he will be fined for the Doha incident, but didn't disclose how much.

"I definitely didn't want to hit the ball at anybody, just happened," he said. "Fortunate not to get a bigger fine.

"On the other hand, unfortunate to actually have that incident happen. I have to be more careful, I guess, in the future."

Djokovic said he did not see the ball hit the spectator, but would "pay my consequences for that".

"I accept that I made a mistake," he said. "It was not intentional at all.

"Of course, people get hit, especially in the first rows, from big serves and so forth.

"It happens, it's not the first time. This is something that definitely cannot happen, I mean, from my side.

"I accept the consequence, absolutely."