After a standout performance at the Miami Open, Novak Djokovic was unable to carry his momentum to the clay courts, suffering a shocking first-round defeat to Alejandro Tabilo at the Monte–Carlo Masters. The loss was a setback for Djokovic, who continues his quest for his 100th ATP title. However, Andy Roddick, the 2003 US Open champion, believes the defeat is nothing out of the ordinary.
Djokovic, making his return to clay since the 2024 Paris Olympics, reflected on his disappointing early elimination and described his performance as “horrible.” Against Tabilo, the Serbian star committed 29 unforced errors and looked far from the form he displayed in Miami.
While the result surprised many fans, Roddick dismissed the idea that it’s a cause for alarm. “It should be viewed as normal. I don’t think that the base level for Novak for a successful year is two majors anymore,” Roddick said in an appearance on Tennis Channel.
For Roddick, the real concern isn’t this loss but Djokovic’s ability to prepare for future success. “I think the question is, ‘Can I build up my season? Can I peak for the majors, right? Can I be as good once as I ever was?’ Right? I think that matters a little bit more,” Roddick continued.
Novak Djokovic of Serbia dries his face with a towel whilst sat on his bench during a break at the change of ends during his match against Alejandro Tabilo. (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
The former World No. 1 also pointed out that Djokovic might not have taken the tournament as seriously as others, using it as a stepping stone for the clay season. “I don’t know if we would have seen Novak here in this tournament, or for the last couple of years frankly, if he didn’t live up the street, right?” he added.
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“I think this is almost paid practice for him,” Roddick explained. “He’s going to reset. Next Monday, he’s still going to be in Monte Carlo training to get ready for the clay-court season, so I don’t put a ton of stock in this”.
Djokovic reflects on his unexpected loss
Before the tournament began, Djokovic admitted that his expectations weren’t high, but even he didn’t foresee such a poor showing. “I expected myself at least to have put in a decent performance. Not like this, it was horrible,” Djokovic admitted in his post-match comments via ATP Tour. “I did not have high expectations. I knew I’m going to have a tough opponent, and I knew I’m going to probably play pretty bad. But this bad, I didn’t expect”.
Djokovic didn’t shy away from addressing his fans, apologizing for his subpar performance. “I was hoping it was not going to happen, but it was quite a high probability I’m going to play this way. … A horrible feeling to play this way. Just sorry for all the people that have to witness this”.
