World No. 5 Novak Djokovic suffered a shocking early exit from the Monte Carlo Masters after falling 6-3, 6-4 to Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo in the second round on Wednesday, MySportDab Reports.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion looked far from his usual self, struggling with rhythm and energy throughout the match.
Djokovic entered the tournament carrying an eye infection that has bothered him since the Miami Open in March. Prior to the match, the 37-year-old admitted he didn’t have “very high” expectations, and his sluggish performance reflected that.
Tabilo, ranked 32nd in the world, capitalized on Djokovic’s poor form to secure a historic win and go 2-0 in their head-to-head record—having also beaten the Serbian in Rome last year.
Djokovic, who is still in search of his 100th ATP title, has not lifted a trophy since his gold-medal triumph at the 2023 Paris Olympics. The result raises further questions about his form heading into the heart of the clay-court season. Tabilo will now face either Grigor Dimitrov or Valentin Vacherot in the round of 16.
Elsewhere, world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz made a strong comeback to record his first-ever victory at the Monte Carlo Masters, defeating Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo 3-6, 6-0, 6-1. The 21-year-old Spaniard, who had a mixed American hard-court swing, started slowly but quickly found his groove after dropping the first set.
Cerundolo broke early and dominated the baseline exchanges to take the opener, but Alcaraz responded with an emphatic shift in momentum. He raised his aggression, moved closer to the baseline on returns, and used drop shots and net approaches to great effect, winning 12 of the next 13 games.
“I didn’t start well. I made a lot of mistakes and let him dominate,” Alcaraz admitted. “But I knew I had to change something. I played more aggressively, used my weapons, and it paid off.”
The win sets Alcaraz up for a deeper run in Monte Carlo, where he looks to establish himself as a top contender during the European clay season.
