Novak Djokovic crashed out of the Monte-Carlo Masters in shock circumstances to continue a worrying trend

Novak Djokovic suffered a shock straight-sets defeat to Alejandro Tabilo in the first round of the Monte Carlo Masters on Wednesday.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion was beaten 6-3, 6-4 by the 32nd-ranked Chilean in a stunning upset.

It marks the second time Tabilo has defeated the former world number one in their two meetings.

Djokovic delivered what he described as a “horrible” performance, struggling to find accuracy in his groundstrokes throughout the match.

Novak Djokovic apologised to fans after crashing out of the Monte-Carlo Masters

The Serbian made 29 unforced errors and was unable to control the flow of the contest.

The error-ridden showing came as the 37-year-old embarked on the clay-court season in Monaco.

Speaking afterwards, Djokovic conceded that he had feared a tough outing, though not quite as bad as the one he eventually produced.

“I expected myself at least to have put in a decent performance. Not like this, it was horrible,” said Djokovic.

“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.”

“I was hoping it was not going to happen, but it was quite a high probability I’m going to play this way,” the Serb continued.

Djokovic then apologised to spectators who witnessed his performance in Monaco.

“A horrible feeling to play this way, just sorry for all the people that have to witness this,” he said.

The defeat continues a concerning trend for Djokovic, who has now suffered first-match exits in three of his last four ATP Tour events.

Prior to Monte Carlo, he lost to Botic van de Zandschulp at Indian Wells and Matteo Berrettini at the Qatar Open.

Novak Djokovic struggled against Alejandro Tabilo in the first round of the Monte Carlo Masters on Wednesday

Reuters

His run to the Miami Open final against Jakub Mensik had been a rare bright spot during this difficult patch.

Djokovic had been troubled by an eye infection before the match and was seen grabbing his arm during practice in Monaco.

When questioned about whether his eye was still an issue, the Paris Olympic gold medallist insisted there was no injury.

Asked if he had any explanation for his poor play, Djokovic replied: “I don’t know. I don’t have it. I have it, and I don’t have it. I don’t really care.”

Novak Djokovic is desperate to win the French Open

Reuters

Despite his current struggles, Djokovic revealed his primary focus for the 2025 season remains clear.

“Roland Garros is all that I want,” the Serbian stated.

The French Open is scheduled to begin on Sunday, 25 May 2025.

This will give Djokovic just over six weeks to rediscover his form before the clay court Grand Slam.