Novak Djokovic's Emptiness

There were no high expectations from Novak Djokovic in the ATP Masters 1000 Monte Carlo tournament held from April 6-13. However, a loss is still painful, especially when unable to perform as hoped.

When expressing all his feelings at a press conference after losing in the second round, Djokovic seemed to feel a sense of emptiness. He was defeated by Alejandro Tabilo with a score of 3-6, 4-6 at the Monte Carlo Country Club, Monaco, on Wednesday afternoon (9/4/2025) local time or Wednesday midnight Indonesian time.

Before Djokovic, second-seeded Carlos Alcaraz had nearly wiped out the top seeds in the early rounds. Alcaraz could have joined top-seeded Alexander Zverev in losing in the second round on Tuesday. But after dropping the first set and facing a break point from Francisco Cerundolo early in the second set, Alcaraz rallied to win 3-6, 6-0, 6-1.

The results achieved by Djokovic after winning the Monte Carlo Masters in 2013 and 2015 were indeed not very favorable. Out of nine appearances since 2015, he only advanced past the quarterfinals once, which was when he reached the semifinals in 2024.

Djokovic has been eliminated more frequently in the second or third rounds, a total of six times, including in 2025. These results seem to reflect his discomfort playing in Monte Carlo, despite living in the city, in addition to his birthplace, Belgrade, Serbia.

The defeat to Tabilo, the Chilean tennis player ranked 32nd in the world, marked Djokovic's second loss after their previous encounter in the second round of the 2024 Rome Masters.

Tabilo is one of only nine tennis players/former tennis players who have always won in their first two encounters with Djokovic. The other eight, according to ATP records, are Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Fernando Verdasco, Olivier Rochus, Nick Kyrgios, Jiri Vesely, Marat Safin, and Guillermo Coria. Among this short list, Vesely and Tabilo (currently active players) have yet to lose to Djokovic.

However, behind the notes of the meeting, Djokovic felt more disappointed because he was unable to play to his standard capabilities when facing Tabilo on Rainier III Court. Djokovic lost in almost all match statistics, one of which was in points gained from return serves. Yet, the holder of 24 Grand Slam titles is known as a player with the best return serves. His shots can turn the pressure back on opponents who should have been able to gain free points from their serves.

Djokovic had just seven points from 37 first-serve returns (19 percent) and 11 points from 22 second-serve returns (50 percent). Another striking aspect of his performance was his 29 unforced errors, almost double Tabilo's 16.

"I didn't have high expectations because I knew I was going to play against a good player, but I didn't expect to play this bad. It was a disaster. I apologize to everyone who watched me," said Djokovic, who could not hide the disappointment on his face and his soft voice.

Early-round performances and losses at the Monte Carlo Masters, one of the warm-up tournaments for the French Open Grand Slam, May 25-June 8, have become commonplace for the former world number one since 2024.

Despite his lofty goals, including his 100th career title and 25th Grand Slam title, his 37-year-old body is increasingly struggling to keep up with his ambitions. No matter how high his ability level is, Djokovic's speed and physical endurance are now lagging behind his younger competitors.

The achievements in the last 16 months are an indicator of his condition. Despite winning the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, he failed to win a Grand Slam for the first time since 2017. Of the nine ATP Masters 1000 tournaments, Djokovic has only appeared in four tournaments with a best result in the final at the Shanghai Masters.

The 2024 Paris gold medal would be the last title for the only active “Big Three” player, following the retirements of Federer and Nadal. Djokovic had the best chance of winning his 100th title when he reached the Miami Masters final in March, but lost to 19-year-old Czech Jakub Mensik.

Djokovic said his big target for the April-June claycourt season is the French Open, but the struggles he has faced since 2024 are unlikely to end on the clay of Roland Garros. (AFP/AP)