Novak Djokovic’s return to clay ended in shocking fashion on Wednesday, as the world No. 1 crashed out of the Monte Carlo Masters in straight sets, falling 6-3, 6-4 to Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo in the second round.
The defeat was as much surprising as it was humbling for Djokovic, who candidly described his performance as “horrible” in a post-match interview. It was his first clay court match since winning gold at the Paris Olympics in July 2024, and the rust showed. The 24-time Grand Slam champion looked out of sorts throughout the encounter, committing 29 unforced errors and struggling to find any rhythm against a player ranked 32nd in the world.
“I expected myself at least to have put in a decent performance. Not like this,” Djokovic admitted. “I knew it was going to be tough, but I didn’t expect to play this bad.”
The loss continues a rough patch for the Serbian legend, who is still chasing his 100th career title. He recently lost the Miami Open final to unseeded teenager Jakub Menšík and had been on a 10-match unbeaten streak on clay prior to Wednesday’s stunning exit.
To add salt to the wound, this marks the second consecutive time Tabilo has defeated Djokovic in straight sets — the first coming at the Italian Open in May 2024. Those wins remain the only top-10 victories of Tabilo’s career.
What makes the upset even more astonishing is Tabilo’s recent form — or lack thereof. Heading into Monte Carlo, the 26-year-old was 2-9 in 2025 and riding an eight-match losing streak on clay. But against Djokovic, he turned the tables in spectacular style.
“It’s been a tough year, so a little bit of the nerves were there,” Tabilo told Tennis Channel. “I just tried to remember what I did well against him last time. I served well today, which helped me to regroup my game after that first game. It was an unreal match. Match by match I’ve been getting better, and I’m so happy.”
Next up for the Chilean is a third-round clash against 15th seed Grigor Dimitrov, with Tabilo hoping to continue what has suddenly become a dream run.
As for Djokovic, questions linger. When asked why he played so poorly, the Serb replied with frustration: “I don’t know. I don’t have it. I have it and I don’t have it. I don’t really care.”
It’s a rare sight to see the usually composed champion so disheartened — and a reminder that even legends have off days. But if history has taught us anything, it’s that Djokovic has a habit of bouncing back. The road to title No. 100 may be rocky, but it’s far from over.
