The 2024 tennis season isn’t going the way the world’s No. 1 player Novak Djokovic envisioned. After coming up short at the Australian Open and exiting the Indian Wells Masters in the second round, Djokovic has now also been eliminated from the Italian Open, a tournament he has won six times before.
Djokovic was an overwhelming favorite against the world’s No. 32 Alejandro Tabilo in their Round of 32 matchup, but the Serbian ended up suffering a shocking defeat in straight sets (6-2, 6-3). It wasn’t just that Djokovic lost, he was also greatly outplayed.
Speaking with reporters after the match, Djokovic said that he was still feeling the consequences of an incident that happened a few days ago. After winning his first-round match against Corentin Moutet, Djokovic was hit in the head with a water bottle after signing autographs.
According to Djokovic, the incident caused him to feel nausea and headaches.
“The way I felt on the court today was just completely from — it’s like a different player entered in my shoes. No rhythm, no tempo, no balance whatsoever on any shot. So, it’s a bit concerning,” said Djokovic.
Djokovic will now hope he can recover and return to form before the 2024 French Open, where he is looking to win his 25th Grand Slam and break the all-time record held by Margaret Court. The Serbian is yet to win a tournament in 2024.
