Novak Djokovic suffered a surprising defeat to brave qualifier Dino Prizmic in the second round of the Italian Open, marking his return to competitive tennis.
The world number four, playing his first match since March 12 and his only clay-court outing before the French Open, showed early promise but struggled visibly with illness in the second set. Despite being a six-time champion in Rome, Djokovic could not sustain his momentum and fell 2-6, 6-2, 6-4 to the determined Croat.
Prizmic, who previously lost to Djokovic at the 2024 Australian Open, played fearlessly with a powerful serve and forehand, winning four straight games in the second set. He dominated baseline rallies and chased down drop shots, breaking for a 3-2 lead in the decider before sealing the biggest win of his career with an ace. After the match, the 20-year-old wrote on the camera lens, “Nole it was a pleasure.”
Djokovic, who turns 39 two days before the French Open starts on May 24, admitted he is not at his best. “I’m not definitely where I want to be to compete at the highest level,” he said. “I don’t recall the last time I had a preparation without physical or health issues. There’s always something. Kind of a new reality I have to deal with.”
Having missed key tournaments with a shoulder injury since Indian Wells, Djokovic confirmed he will play no further events before Roland Garros, where he will chase a record 25th Grand Slam singles title. Despite a strong start, his movement slowed and he relied on drop shots, but Prizmic matched them all, hitting 13 winners in the second set.
Prizmic, the boys’ champion at Roland Garros just three years ago, has now beaten two top-10 players in as many weeks, following his victory over Ben Shelton in Madrid. Djokovic, a semifinalist at the 2024 French Open, admitted, “I don’t think I played so bad. It was a good battle in the end.”
The Serb will hope for a benign first-week draw in Paris to regain sharpness, having entered the clay major with only one match under his belt.
