Novak Djokovic faced a stunning defeat in the second round of the Monte Carlo Masters, falling to unseeded Alejandro Tabilo in straight sets. This loss serves to elucidate Djokovic’s continuing challenges on and off the court. It comes on the heels of his shocking loss to teenaged Jakub Menšík in the final at the Miami Open. The result ended a valiant bid by Djokovic to claim his 100th career title. This broke a remarkable run for him on clay, where he’d previously claimed a ten-match unbeaten streak prior to this contest.
Djokovic’s performance against Tabilo revealed significant challenges. He hit 29 more unforced errors than they recorded winners at 18 on the match. That unfortunate lack of grace and timing showed as he thought he found his footing on his clay court debut. Immediately after the match, Djokovic didn’t hold back in describing his performance as “horrible.” Beyond the missed opportunities, he said he felt bad for himself and fans too.
Of course, I didn’t want it to come to that, but the odds were stacked against me. Almost certainly I would. I don’t know. Just horrible. It’s an awful way to perform, and I’m just really apologetic to everyone who’s had to see this.” – Novak Djokovic
The meeting marked Djokovic’s first on the red surface since winning gold at the Paris Olympics in July 2024. To the victors, Tabilo was at least happy with the way he played and said that he felt himself getting better as the game wore on.
It’s been a very emotional year for me and honestly, I was pretty nervous, but I just tried to remember what gave me success the first time I faced him,” Alejandro Tabilo said.
It was his powerful serving that won him the match, and Tabilo was aware of that fact. It served to settle him down after a jittery beginning.
I felt like I played really good the day I had to come back and get back into it after my first match. That game was completely surreal! I’ve learned match by match and I’m constantly improving, and I’m so glad. – Alejandro Tabilo
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