Novak Djokovic is grappling with a challenging phase in his illustrious career after suffering a 6-3, 6-4 defeat to unseeded Italian Matteo Arnaldi in the second round of the Madrid Open. This marks his third consecutive loss, and Djokovic, visibly dejected, expressed uncertainty about his future in Madrid. When asked whether this could be his final appearance in the Spanish capital, he responded, “It could be. It could be. I’m not sure if I will come back. So, I don’t know, I don’t know what to say. I mean, I’ll come back, maybe not as a player, of course. I hope it’s not, but it could be.”
Having received a first-round bye, Djokovic entered the tournament with the hopes of bouncing back from a difficult stretch. His last few weeks had been filled with disappointment, starting with a tough loss to Jakub Mensik in the Miami final. He followed that with another early exit in Monte Carlo, losing to Alejandro Tabilo. His struggles were compounded by an eye infection in Miami, which lingered and seemed to affect his performance. Yet in Madrid, he appeared devoid of his usual energy, dropping serve early in the match and failing to find any rhythm.
After the loss, Djokovic admitted to starting the tournament with modest expectations, acknowledging that his current reality in professional tennis was starkly different from the past. “Not big at all, to be honest,” he said regarding his hopes for the tournament. “I was hoping I could play one more match than I played in Monte Carlo. Kind of a new reality for me, I have to say. Trying to win a match or two, not really thinking about getting far in the tournament. It’s a completely different feeling from what I had in 20-plus years of professional tennis.”
The 37-year-old Serbian explained that adjusting to these new expectations, particularly the frequent early exits, has been mentally challenging. “But that’s, I guess, the circle of life and the career, eventually it was going to happen,” he said. “Now I’m trying to use this as a driving force for the future. Obviously grand slams, I was saying many times, are the most important tournaments for me.” Despite the setbacks, Djokovic remains determined to compete at the highest level, especially in grand slams, although he expressed uncertainty about his form at the upcoming Roland Garros. “I’m not sure if I’ll be able to do that in Roland Garros, but I’ll do my best,” he added.
Arnaldi, who is currently ranked No 44, is considered a promising player with considerable defensive skills and a potent forehand. Djokovic, however, would not have lost to a player of Arnaldi’s caliber in previous years, making this defeat another harsh reminder of his diminishing dominance in the sport. Djokovic has now suffered early exits in consecutive Masters 1000 events, a scenario he had never encountered in the previous two decades of his career.
“I didn’t experience what I’m experiencing in the last 12 months,” he reflected. “Early exits and way too many. But it is part of the sport, and you have to accept the circumstances and try to make the best out of the circumstances in your favour for whatever is coming up.”
Despite the tough loss, Djokovic remains philosophical, refusing to complain about his career and accepting the challenges that come with it. “Look, I cannot sit here and complain about my career or anything. I’m not doing that. But it’s a different feeling that I just have to embrace, accept and deal with in a special way.”
In brighter news for British tennis, Jack Draper moved into the third round with a solid 6-3, 6-4 victory over Tallon Griekspoor, displaying calm composure against a formidable opponent. Draper, after receiving a first-round bye, handled the match with poise despite Griekspoor’s strong form of late. Draper admitted that while his serve could have been sharper, he was pleased with his overall performance.
Meanwhile, Jacob Fearnley achieved a career milestone by securing his first top-20 win, overcoming Tomas Machac 1-6, 6-3, 6-2, in what was just his second senior tournament on clay. Cameron Norrie also made his mark, advancing to the third round with a 2-6, 6-4, 6-0 win over Jiri Lehecka.
