Novak Djokovic to Serena Williams to Tim Henman to John McEnroe: Disqualified tennis stars

Djokovic was disqualified after hitting a lineswoman with a ball during his clash with Pablo Carreno Busta at Flushing Meadows.

But the world number one's nightmare moment is just one of many episodes in the history of tennis that led to an immediate elimination.

During his last 16 match with Sweden's Mikael Pernfors, the American first threatened a line judge, earning a warning. Then, in the fourth set, McEnroe missed a forehand and threw his racket to the ground, doing it again until it broke. Still unhappy, McEnroe railed against the umpire and was handed a third warning, triggering his disqualification. Later he declared that he did not know about the rule change, which saw disqualifications arrive after three warnings - not four.

Henman teamed up with Jeremy Bates in the men's doubles, facing off against Jeff Tarango and Henrik Holm in the first round. Henman whacked the ball in frustration, inadvertently striking a ball girl. He protested his innocence on court, but the damage was done.

The Brazilian, playing doubles alongside Fernando Meligeni against Jonas Bjorkman and Pat Rafter, threw his racket in the direction of a chair umpire. Although the umpire dodged it - just - a spectator was hit behind and Kuerten and Meligeni were hastily thrown out of the doubles tournament.

The Belgian was leading David Ferrer when he was accused of insulting a line judge and subsequently disqualified. "How can you do this to me? I'm so p***ed off because I didn't do anything. You know what you just did," he raged, breaking two rackets before leaving the court.

The American had already received a warning for breaking a racket during her final with Kim Clijsters when - after a foot fault was called on her second serve - Serena approached the official and fumed: "I swear to God I'll f****** take the ball and shove it down your f****** throat." She was two points from defeat before the foot fault, while she was handed a point penalty for the tirade, meaning Clijsters was declared champion in the strangest of circumstances.

The Argentine lost his temper during the final against Marin Cilic and kicked an advertising panel which was concealing the leg of a line judge. The inevitable result? Nalbandian was disqualified, handed the maximum fine and investigated by police.

Slightly different but... the Bulgarian had already broken two rackets (and received two warnings) and continued to seethe. He went to his chair, promptly broke two more rackets, shook hands with his opponent and disappeared to the changing rooms, thereby disqualifying himself before anyone else could.

A Davis Cup semi-final was on the line when Canada's Shapovalov faced Britain's Kyle Edmund in the decisive rubber. The 17-year-old lashed the ball in fury, hitting the chair umpire in the eye, ending Canada's dreams of winning the trophy. Umpire Arnaud Gabas had surgery on a fractured bone, although Shapovalov later insisted the pair have since become "good friends".