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Novak Djokovic Suffers Shock Defeat at Monte Carlo Masters
- World No. 1 Novak Djokovic experienced a straight-sets loss to Alejandro Tabilo at the Monte Carlo Masters.
- The 37-year-old tennis star confessed to lacking an explanation for his subpar performance.
- Djokovic emphasized the French Open as his primary objective for this season.
World number one Novak Djokovic delivered a scathing assessment of his ‘dreadful’ showing against Alejandro Tabilo in Monte Carlo, even apologizing to those ‘who were subjected to this’ spectacle.
In his inaugural clay court match of the season, the 37-year-old succumbed to a 6-3, 6-4 defeat against world No. 32 Tabilo. When faced with the suggestion that it wasn’t his finest performance, he retorted: ‘It was closer to my worst.’
‘Honestly, I was hoping this wouldn’t occur, but the probability of such a performance was unfortunately quite high,’ Djokovic admitted.
‘I’m at a loss for words. It’s a truly awful sensation to compete in this manner, and I sincerely apologize to everyone who had to witness it.’
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When questioned about a possible reason for his performance, he stated: ‘I’m unsure. I have no answer. I’m both aware and unaware. Frankly, I don’t dwell on it.’
Even in defeat, Djokovic typically engages with the press openly, but this instance was an exception. He had previously demonstrated impressive tennis to reach the Miami final before losing to a motivated Jakub Mensik.
Djokovic’s Dismal Display in Second Round
The Serbian player had been contending with an eye infection prior to the match and was observed clutching his arm during practice in Monte Carlo. ‘It’s perfectly fine. Just a slight, insignificant matter,’ he clarified regarding his arm, and when queried if the eye issue persisted, he responded: ‘There is no injury.’
Djokovic had indicated before the tournament that his expectations were modest, considering the transition from hard courts to clay and his limited preparation time.
However, he was visibly disconcerted by the minimal resistance he could muster against an opponent who had only secured three victories in 2025 before Monte Carlo.
‘I anticipated at least delivering a respectable performance,’ Djokovic stated. ‘Not this. It was truly dreadful.’
‘I genuinely did not harbor high hopes. I anticipated facing a formidable opponent and performing poorly. But I did not foresee performing this badly.’
Focus on French Open Amidst Early Exit
When questioned about his objectives for the season, Djokovic replied: ‘Roland Garros, that’s the aim,’ highlighting a potential challenge – with 24 Grand Slam titles already secured, maintaining motivation for routine events is understandably becoming more challenging.
Tabilo’s Second Clay Court Victory Over Djokovic
This marked the second occasion in two years that Tabilo has stunned Djokovic on clay, following Rome last year. The 27-year-old Chilean now becomes only the seventh player in history to possess a winning record against the tennis legend across a minimum of two encounters.