Novak Djokovic’s pursuit of his 100th ATP singles title hit a roadblock as he suffered a disappointing straight-set defeat to Alejandro Tabilo in the opening round of the Monte Carlo Masters. Djokovic, a two-time champion of the event, struggled throughout the match, committing 29 unforced errors against just 18 winners, which led to a 6-3, 6-4 loss.
The 37-year-old Serbian, who has previously excelled on clay – having won his last ten matches on this surface, including Olympic gold – expressed his frustration after the match. “I expected myself at least to have put in a decent performance. Not like this, it was horrible,” he admitted, reflecting on the poor quality of his play. He recognized Tabilo’s challenge but felt disappointed in his own execution, stating, “I was hoping it was not going to happen, but it was quite a high probability I’m going to play this way.”
This defeat comes on the heels of Djokovic’s earlier setback at the Miami Open, where he lost to Czech teenager Jakub Mensik while chasing the same milestone title, leaving him still at 99 ATP singles titles. Despite this, Djokovic remains in the hunt to become just the third male player in the Open era to reach the 100-title mark, a feat previously achieved only by legends Roger Federer and Jimmy Connors.
In other tournament action, Carlos Alcaraz made an impressive start to his clay season by rallying to defeat Francisco Cerundolo, winning 3-6, 6-0, 6-1. Norwegian fourth seed Casper Ruud also advanced with a convincing 6-2, 6-1 victory over Roberto Bautista Agut.
Looking ahead, Tabilo will next face either Grigor Dimitrov or wildcard Valentin Vacherot, while Alcaraz is set to meet German qualifier Daniel Altmaier.
Djokovic’s unexpected exit reflects the unpredictable nature of tennis, where resilience and adaptability are vital. Despite the disappointment, there remains hope for Djokovic to regroup and find his form before upcoming events, with many fans eagerly awaiting his next steps as he continues to chase that elusive 100th title.
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