Djokovic Getting Used to Losing

Novak Djokovic has never spoken about retirement plans. Although he continues to express his intention to improve in the tournaments on his agenda, he must adapt to the new situation of suffering consecutive losses in the early rounds of tournaments.

The situation became increasingly frequent in 2025. In less than half a season, he experienced two moments of consecutive defeats.

The former world number one tennis player was eliminated in the second round of the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Madrid, during a match on the clay courts of Caja Magica, Madrid, Spain. He lost to Italian player and his fan, Matteo Arnaldi, with a score of 3-6, 4-6, on Saturday (26/4/2025) local time.

The match was Djokovic's first in Madrid as he had a first-round bye. He arrived in Madrid after a similar exit at the Monte Carlo Masters two weeks earlier. Djokovic lost to Alejandro Tabilo after losing to Jakub Mensik in the Miami Masters final three weeks earlier.

Tabilo has become one of only nine tennis players/former players who have always won in their first two encounters with Djokovic. The other eight are Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Fernando Verdasco, Olivier Rochus, Nick Kyrgios, Jiri Vesely, Marat Safin, and Guillermo Coria. Among them, Vesely and Tabilo (currently active players) have not lost to Djokovic.

I had to leave the tournament early. But that's the cycle of career and life.

Before losing in their first appearances in Monte Carlo and Madrid in quick succession, Djokovic had similar experiences on hardcourts this year. He lost in the first round of the ATP 500 Doha against Matteo Berrettini in mid-February, then was eliminated in the second round of the Indian Wells Masters in early March. In Indian Wells, Djokovic received a first-round bye.

"Yes, now I have to get used to the new reality, losing in the early rounds. Every time I face a tournament, I only try to win one or two matches, not thinking too far ahead. This is very different from what I experienced in the past 20 years," said Djokvoci in an interview with ATP.

Djokovic is indeed not accustomed to what he has experienced this year. His previous consecutive defeats occurred in mid-2022 when he lost in the quarter-finals of the ATP 500 in Dubai, and then was eliminated in the second round of the Monte Carlo Masters.

Nevertheless, the Serbian tennis player was still able to win the Rome Masters, Wimbledon, and the ATP Finals that year. This is in contrast to his experience since 2024. For the first time since 2017, when he was plagued by a back injury, Djokovic did not win any ATP Masters 1000 tournaments or Wimbledon.

"This new situation is very challenging, especially for my mental state. I have to leave the tournament earlier. However, that is the cycle of a career and life. Regardless, it will happen," he stated in a calm tone during a press conference in Madrid.

Djokovic, who turns 38 on May 22, is the oldest male player in the world's top 40. The 40-time ATP Masters 1000 champion is the only remaining "Big Three" player after Roger Federer retires in 2022 and Rafael Nadal in 2024. After losing his rivals among the world's best players (GOAT), his competitors are coming from a new generation. His toughest competitors are 21-year-old Carlos Alcaraz and 23-year-old Jannik Sinner.

The eight meetings between Djokovic and Sinner resulted in a tie of 4-4 for them; however, Djokovic lost the last three encounters. Alcaraz also posed difficulties for him, although Djokovic leads 5-3. Of the eight meetings, four took place in the finals of Grand Slam tournaments and the 2024 Paris Olympics. They each secured two victories.

Djokovic stated that his main target at this age is the Grand Slam tournaments, such as the French Open, which will take place from May 25 to June 8, and is considered the pinnacle of competition on clay courts. However, this does not mean that he underestimates other tournaments.

The figure who has been competing in the professional tennis arena since 2003 shared that he feels a different kind of pressure when participating in tournaments this year. "Pressure is part of sports, especially in such high-level competition. However, I feel a different kind of pressure at this moment. Every time I step onto the court, I feel stressed. Competing has become a greater challenge. Nevertheless, I will continue to strive to do better," he said. (AFP/IYA)