Alejandro Tabilo beats Novak Djokovic in massive third-round upset at Italian Open

ROME – Novak Djokovic kept his humour intact after being hit by a water bottle that caused his head to bleed. But the world No. 1 needed to put on a much braver front after he was stunned by Alejandro Tabilo 6-2, 6-3 at the Italian Open on May 12 in a match that lasted just 68 minutes.

In their first career meeting, Tabilo got the biggest win of his career. The world No. 32 Chilean did not face a single break point against the six-time Italian Open champion and converted four of seven break-point opportunities.

He hit more winners (22 to 14) while making just four unforced errors, compared to Djokovic’s 12.

Djokovic struggled on his serve, making five double faults and landing just 52 per cent of his first serves.

The defeat leaves Djokovic still seeking his first trophy of the season while ending his bid for a record-extending 41st Masters 1000 title. It is the first time he has reached May without a title since 2018, when he was returning from a right elbow injury. His premature exits have resulted in him playing only six matches on clay in 2024 in the build-up to Roland Garros.

The Serb will be attempting to retain his title at the French Open, which starts on May 26, days after he turns 37, knowing that he has had less-than-ideal preparations.

Djokovic was hit by a fan’s bottle on May 10 while signing autographs after his second-round win over Corentin Moutet. The next day, the 24-time Grand Slam champion wore a helmet to greet fans, and shared the video on social media site Instagram with the caption “I came prepared”.

Few would have been prepared for a Tabilo win, not least the 26-year-old himself. But he was a worthy winner after tearing into his superstar opponent, racing into a 4-0 lead in the first set in less than 20 minutes.

“It’s incredible. I came on court just looking around and soaking it all in, trying to process everything. I’m trying to wake up right now,” said Tabilo, who won a Challenger Tour tournament earlier in May and has one career ATP title – the Auckland Open in January – compared to Djokovic’s 98.

Djokovic blamed the “unfortunate” bottle incident on May 10 for being a “completely different player” from two nights ago.

“That has really impacted me a lot. After that I got medical care, been through half an hour, an hour of nausea, dizziness and blood,” he told a news conference, adding that he would go for scans.

“I managed to sleep okay, I had headaches. The next day, or yesterday, was pretty fine, so I thought it’s okay. Maybe it is okay, maybe it’s not.

“The way I felt on the court today was just completely like a different player entered into my shoes. Just no rhythm, no tempo, no balance whatsoever on any shot. It’s a bit concerning.”

The result also means that Djokovic will need to reach the French Open final to have a chance of retaining his top ranking. Entering the third round in Rome, Djokovic had a 1,090-point advantage over world No. 2 Jannik Sinner, who is not competing in the Italian capital due to injury but has fewer points to defend in Paris.

As the Roland Garros title holder, Djokovic will be defending 2,000 points. Sinner reached only the second round and will defend just 45 points.

In the women’s draw, Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka cruised into the last 16 with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Dayana Yastremska.

The second seed claimed her first win in four matches against the Ukrainian, dispatching her opponent in one hour and 28 minutes without dropping a service game. The 26-year-old Belarusian saved both of the two break points she faced all match.

Sabalenka, who has never won in Rome but is a two-time champion on the Madrid clay, looks in good shape to at least match her 2022 run to the semi-finals. But she wants more, labelling the event as her “dream tournament” to win after equalling Iga Swiatek’s 90 WTA 1000 wins – the most since 2018. REUTERS, AFP