Sport, particularly tennis, is known for its greatness and achievements. That is why some people love collectibles, often safeguarding their possessions for eternity. However, one fan isn’t in that group, as he looks to receive a hefty paycheck for a prized collectible he chanced upon when Novak Djokovic threw the item into the crowd in joy during his French Open victory in 2016.
The last Novak Djokovic match-winning racket against Rafael Nadal at the 2011 Wimbledon was sold for $19,000 in England but the 2016 racket went beyond expert reports.
Novak Djokovic’s racket sold for $107,482
In 2016, Novak Djokovic needed to win the French Open to complete a career Grand Slam and take a place at the centre of the Big Three. The Serbian win against Great Britain’s Andy Murray in the final in Paris has been admitted by Djokovic as one of the most unforgettable victories of his career; however, the tennis star didn’t keep the racket that cemented his place among the tennis greats.
Players to have won a career Grand Slam of all four majors were Fred Perry, Don Budge, Roy Emerson, Rod Laver, Andre Agassi, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, until Novak Djokovic claimed the missing piece of his jigsaw in 2016.
Instead, he threw it into the Roland Garros crowd and it was caught by lucky spectator Abby Doherty. “It was all in slow motion. He just flung it into the crowd,” said Doherty. “I had an “Oh my God” moment because it was coming right toward us.
“It hit my hand and it was deflected to the ground. I sprinted to it, put my foot on the racquet and grabbed the handle. I held onto it real tight. After the match, I ran down to the place where he exited the court. I wanted to get him to sign it, but I was unable to get his attention.”
Doherty kept the Head racket in her possession for the past seven years but decided to cash in on her prized possession. The racket has been put up for sale on the SCP auction site, with an expectation that it would sell for a fee in excess of $50,000. But it turned out that the estimate was wildly under-valued, with the final sale price of $107,500 ensuring that Doherty’s famous catch in Paris is set for a very special Christmas.
Novak Djokovic unable to break Billie Jean King’s record
The $107,500 final figure is believed to be the second highest sum spent on a single tennis racket, just behind the $125,000 paid for Billie Jean King’s wooden racket from her famous ‘Battle of the Sexes’ match against Bobby Rig in 1973. However, it is a significant improvement from Novak Djokovic’s last match-winning racket, which was auctioned for 16,000 pounds.
In 2021, the most lucrative sale of tennis memorabilia came when Roger Federer put a large collection of his rackets and clothing up for sale to raise funds for his foundation. The sale of the rackets was estimated on lots that included rackets and clothes worn by the great Swiss icon during Grand Slam winning games and were smashed for sale at Christie’s in London.
In total, 19 lots were on offer in the first auction and the clothes and rackets from his numerous Wimbledon triumphs and Roland Garros win were sold for a combined total of £1,329,375 ($1,687,136.60). An online auction of smaller items worn by Federer that included sweatbands also went under the hammer, with a stunning £2,099,750 ($2,665,182) raised in that sale.
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