Novak Djokovic Shocked by Alejandro Tabilo at Monte Carlo Masters

MONACO — Novak Djokovic‘s quest for a 100th ATP title hit a significant snag Wednesday as he fell to Alejandro Tabilo in the second round of the Monte Carlo Masters, losing 6-3, 6-4. Djokovic, ranked No. 5 in the world, struggled through his first match on clay since the previous summer, displaying an uncharacteristic performance filled with unforced errors.

The match, which lasted just under an hour and a half, took place on Court Rainier III. Tabilo, currently ranked No. 32, capitalized on Djokovic’s lack of rhythm, breaking his serve twice in the opening set and once more in the second set to achieve the straight-sets victory.

Djokovic admitted, “I expected myself at least to have put in a decent performance. Not like this. It was horrible. I knew I was going to have a tough opponent and probably play pretty bad. But this bad, I didn’t expect.” He ended up making 29 unforced errors compared to just 18 winners.

Following Tabilo’s triumph over Djokovic, he is now 2-0 in head-to-head matchups against the Serbian. “It’s been a tough year, so a little bit of the nerves were there,” Tabilo said in a post-match interview. “I just tried to remember what I did well last time, and thankfully I served well today,” he added.

Tabilo’s success against Djokovic followed his earlier victory over Stan Wawrinka in the first round, marking a resurgence in his performance after struggling for form this season. Before Monte Carlo, Tabilo had posted a disappointing 2-9 win-loss record for the year.

Next, Tabilo will face No. 15 seed Grigor Dimitrov, who edged out wildcard Valentin Vacherot 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 to advance. “It was an unreal match,” Tabilo stated, reflecting on his win against Djokovic.

In other matches, world No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz battled back after losing the first set to defeat Francisco Cerundolo 3-6, 6-0, 6-1. Alcaraz, a four-time Grand Slam champion, aims to regain his footing after recent losses at Indian Wells and Miami. “I didn’t start well. I made a lot of mistakes,” Alcaraz said, acknowledging his slow start before regrouping.

Alcaraz is set to play German qualifier Daniel Altmaier, who progressed after defeating Richard Gasquet 7-5, 5-7, 6-2. Meanwhile, fourth seed Casper Ruud had a straightforward victory over Roberto Bautista Agut 6-2, 6-1, consolidating his strong performance on clay.

Andrey Rublev, who won the tournament in 2023, marked his first match with new coach Marat Safin by beating Gaël Monfils 6-4, 7-6 (2). Australian Alex De Minaur also made headlines with a comeback victory against Tomas Machac, showcasing strong potential ahead of the clay season.

As the tournament advances, Djokovic’s latest defeat raises questions about his form as the French Open approaches in late May, placing further pressure on his aspirations for that 100th ATP title.