World No. 1 Novak Djokovic bowed out of the 2022 Monte-Carlo Masters on Tuesday after suffering a 6-3, 6-7, 6-1 defeat to unseeded Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
Djokovic continues to struggle this season and marks a miserable start to his clay season with the second-round defeat, his first match of the tournament. Davidovich Fokina, 22, moves into the third round and will face either wildcard David Goffin or Great Britain's Dan Evans.
Tennis superstar 'Nole' suffered three breaks of serve during the opening set—and nine overall—as he struggled to gain a foothold at the Monte Carlo Country Club. The second salvo proved more competitive as each player broke on three occasions, and it was Djokovic who found some late form to emerge a 7-5 victor in the tiebreak.
It was there the 20-time Grand Slam-winner continued to falter on his own serve, trailing 4-2 before he claimed five of the last six points to fire his way level. The Monte Carlo crowd bellowed after he squeezed a trademark forehand just in bounds to force a deciding set, cupping his hand to his ear as he took in the applause.
Djokovic, 34, had won both of the pair's previous encounters in straight sets, the most recent of which occurred during the last 16 of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. This, however, proved a much tighter affair throughout, with his Spanish foe not affording the sport's top-ranked star the same respect in any sector.
Davidovich Fokina may have feared the script was written for a Djokovic comeback after that second set, but he rediscovered his groove to go 2-0 up early on in the third. The favourite then saved three break points to get back on the board before once again giving up three straight games to fall 4-1 behind.
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A well-dusted Davidovich Fokina—covered in clay from his diving attempts to save numerous points—made it four in a row and finished the job with his second match point opportunity. But while the youngster celebrated the biggest result of his career to date, Djokovic will remember this date for entirely opposite reasons.
Before travelling to Monaco, Djokovic's only display of 2022 thus far was a shock quarter-final exit to Jiri Vesely at the Dubai Tennis Championships in February. The Serb hasn't looked the same since he was deported from Melbourne ahead of his planned title defence at this year's Australian Open.
This is the third time two-time Monte-Carlo Masters champion Djokovic has lost his first match of the competition. His 2006 debut in Monaco ended in a 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 defeat to Roger Federer, while he lost 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 to Vesely in the second round a decade later.
Speaking in an interview after such a remarkable victory, Davidovich Fokina said: “This win is so special for me. I grew up watching Nole – I’m a big fan. Here in Monte-Carlo, full of people, against the No. 1, I enjoyed every moment. I’m so happy.”
Djokovic, on the other hand, told reporters he "collapsed physically" and "didn't like the way [he] felt in the end." This was his first match since splitting with former coach Marian Vajda for a second time, and he concluded by saying he needed to talk with his team.
The result is a major dent to his preparations ahead of the 2022 French Open, which gets underway on May 22. Djokovic is hoping to retain his crown at Roland Garros and draw level with record-holder Rafael Nadal on 21 major titles.
Nadal, 35, is currently injured but hopes to extend his Grand Slam lead by coming back in time to win a record-extending 14th French Open title. The King of Clay's odds appear to have improved following Djokovic's latest misstep in Monaco, with the latter now set to turn his attention to the Serbia Open on April 18.
