“Ever since I won my 99th, which was the Olympic Games in Paris, I’ve been playing with the prospect of winning the special hundred titles,” said Novak Djokovic after defeating Grigor Dimitrov in Miami. Following his golden triumph on the red clay of Paris at the Olympics, Novak Djokovic embarked on a determined quest for his 100th career title, chasing glory across major stops like the US Open, Shanghai Masters, Australian Open, Qatar Open, Indian Wells, and the Miami Open. His runner-up finish in Miami reignited the belief that milestone No. 100 was within reach, especially heading into the familiar clay of Monte Carlo. But fate had a unique script this time.
Much like his on-court performance of late, the 24-time GS winner Novak Djokovic was left deflated on Wednesday after a surprising early exit at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters. Facing Alejandro Tabilo for the second time in less than a year, the Serbian ace stumbled again, committing 29 unforced errors in a 6-3, 6-4 defeat, leaving him winless in their Lexus ATP H2H rivalry. This was two-time Monte-Carlo champion’s first loss on clay since last year’s Italian Open. Moments after the match, Djokovic didn’t hold back thoughts on his rocky comeback.
Talking to the press conference after the match, Novak said, “It was actually more like the worst day.” Djokovic lost early in both the Qatar Open and Indian Wells Masters. What makes this particular sequence of results his ‘worst’ compared to other instances of early losses this year?
“Look, I was hoping it was not going to happen, but it was quite a high probability I’m going to play this way. I don’t know. Just horrible. Horrible feeling to play this way, and just sorry for all the people that have to witness this. I expected myself at least to have put a decent performance. Not like this. It was horrible. I did not have high expectations, really. I knew I’m gonna have a tough opponent and I knew I’m gonna probably play pretty bad. But this bad, I didn’t expect,” Novak added.
Novak Djokovic apologises for his Monte Carlo performance:
“It was actually more like the worst day.
Look, I was hoping it was not going to happen, but it was quite a high probability I’m going to play this way. I don’t know.
I expected myself at least to have put a decent… pic.twitter.com/xtof5CMjam
— Olly Tennis (@Olly_Tennis_) April 9, 2025
While his rivalry with the left-handed Rafael Nadal is closely contested (31-29 in Djokovic’s favor), the 37-year-old Novak Djokovic has generally exhibited a strong dominance over left-handed players throughout his career.
Prior to his match against Tabilo in Rome last year, Djokovic boasted an impressive 107-11 record (90.6% win rate according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index) against lefties excluding Nadal, a figure even surpassing his overall career win percentage of 83.3%.
Since early 2011, only three left-handed players other than Nadal (Jiri Vesely twice, Martin Klizan, and Feliciano Lopez) had managed to defeat him. Tabilo’s victory marked him as the latest left-hander to achieve this.
Notably, Tabilo also became only the ninth player in history to secure a 2-0 head-to-head record against the formidable 40-time ATP Masters 1000 champion, joining a prestigious list that includes Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Fernando Verdasco, Olivier Rochus, Nick Kyrgios, Jiří Veselý, Marat Safin, and Guillermo Coria.
As for Djokovic, he is preparing for the Madrid Open at the end of the month, where he will be supported by Murray. Nevertheless, Djokovic’s strategy for this clay season involves prioritizing a singular tournament above all others. “Roland Garros. That’s it,” he smiled.
Well, Monte Carlo wasn’t the first sting Djokovic has endured this season. Just last month, he faced another bitter disappointment under the bright lights of Miami.
Djokovic shared his raw thoughts after the heartbreak at the Miami Open
Novak Djokovic’s quest for a landmark 100th ATP title came to a halt in Miami, as rising Czech sensation Jakub Mensik outplayed him in a gripping straight-sets final. The Serbian GOAT was aiming to etch his name alongside legends, Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer in the elite 100-title club, but the humid conditions and Mensik’s relentless power proved too much. The teenager from Czech fired 14 aces en route to his maiden Masters 1000 title, edging Djokovic 7-6(4), 7-6(4) in a match defined by narrow margins and fierce intensity.
Battling both the sweltering Florida heat and a stye under his right eye, Djokovic’s frustration boiled over, visibly showing his anguish toward his team, where none other than Andy Murray was spotted among his supporters. It was a tough pill to swallow for the Serbian ace, who had returned to Miami after several years with high hopes. Reflecting on the defeat, Novak admitted the outcome wasn’t what he had envisioned, but acknowledged the challenge of regaining rhythm after a long absence from the tournament’s courts.
“I leave with a sour taste for losing the final, but I have regained good feelings both on and off the court. I am very grateful for the support received and have enjoyed the experience, besides playing well all week, except for today. It’s unfortunate for me. Two tiebreaks, weird match, weird day with the rain delay and all the things that were happening. I didn’t feel my greatest on the court, but it is what it is. Nothing to take away from his victory,” Novak said.
With two back-to-back heartbreaks in a span of 10 days, the Serb now turns his focus to the upcoming challenges in Madrid and Rome. During his regrouping period in preparation for the upcoming clay court season, the tennis community is left to contemplate the potential ramifications of his recent struggles and their influence on the remainder of his competitive year. However, the big question now lingers: when will Novak finally capture that elusive 100th title?
The post ‘More Like the Worst Day’- Novak Djokovic Confesses to ‘Horrible’ Monte-Carlo Run Following Shocking Exit appeared first on EssentiallySports.