Novak Djokovic’s match-winning racket from the 2016 French Open final was put up for auction – and the historic memorabilia was sold for a whopping $107,482.
After beating Andy Murray in four sets in the French Open final, Novak Djokovic took out his racket and drew a heart-shape on the surface of the court before tossing it into the stands where it was miraculously caught by a fan named Abby Doherty.
The fan decided to put the racket up for auction via SCP Auctions. SCP Auctions is a well-known company that specializes in sports memorabilia. The racquet is a 27-inch Head Speed Graphene Touch PT113B, with a custom double-wrapped, calfskin leather grip.
The racket drew a lot of attention for the collectors all around the world, and it was expected that the racket could sell for over six figures.
That is exactly what happened.
Abby Doherty, the woman who caught the racket from Djokovic is expected to make a fortune from the sale.
She talked about the incident recently, claiming it was a ‘Oh my God moment’ for her.
“It was all in slow motion. He just flung it into the crowd. 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 and put my foot on the racket and grabbed the handle. I held on to it real tight,” she said.
“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,” she added.
Doherty also opened up about her decision to sell this unique piece of memorabilia.
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“It was a really tough decision [to sell]. You’ve got this really cool piece of sports memorabilia but it’s been sitting in my closet for like, six years.”
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