Djokovic eliminated early at Rome Masters 2026 - Photo: AP
On the evening of May 8th, tennis legend Djokovic got off to a great start with a 6-2 victory over Dino Prizmic in the first set of the second round of the Rome Masters.
It seemed the Serbian player would have a quick victory. But an unbelievable scenario unfolded when the world number 4 player suddenly showed a clear decline in physical fitness right at the start of the second set.
Nole moved sluggishly, constantly leaning on his knees. And he was almost unable to maintain the intensity of his usual sustained fighting style.
Taking full advantage of his senior's slowness, Dino Prizmic – the 20-year-old player whom Djokovic once described as a "copycat" of himself – played explosively.
20-year-old tennis player Dino Prizmic (right) unexpectedly defeated Djokovic (left) - Photo: REUTERS
Prizmic capitalized on tricky drop shots and maintained his tenacity at the baseline to stage a spectacular comeback, winning the next two sets 6-2 and 4-6.
After defeating Ben Shelton in Madrid, this was the Croatian prodigy's second consecutive top-10 victory. Conversely, this was Djokovic's first opening match loss in Rome after his previous 18-0 record.
In the post-match press conference, the 38-year-old tennis player couldn't hide his disappointment: "Something always happens to my health. That's a new reality I have to face."
Despite admitting that his preparation for Roland Garros was not ideal and that he was "half a step behind" his rivals, Djokovic decided not to participate in any further tournaments to recover from his injury before heading to Paris for the tournament on May 24th.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/djokovic-thua-tran-mo-man-tai-rome-masters-2026-20260509103837453.htm
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