Aug 30, 2024; Flushing, NY, USA; Novak Djokovic (SRB) waves to the crowd while leaving the court after his match Alexei Popyrin (AUS) celebrates after his match against(not pictured) in a men’s singles match on day five of the 2024 U.S. Open tennis tournament at Billie Jean King USTA National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images Novak Djokovic’s bid for his 100th ATP Tour singles title will have to wait a little longer after the Serbian star pulled out of next month’s Italian Open on Tuesday.
Djokovic, a six-time winner of the clay-court tournament in Rome, is coming off a shocking loss on Sunday to Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi in his opening match at the Madrid Open.
By withdrawing from the Italian Open, which starts May 7, Djokovic is unlikely to play another competitive match before the start of the French Open on May 25.
Djokovic, 37, has three triumphs at Roland Garros among his men’s record 24 Grand Slam singles titles. He was shut out in the four majors in 2024 but did win a gold medal on clay at the Paris Olympics.
So far in 2025, Djokovic has also suffered opening-match losses at Monte-Carlo, Indian Wells and Doha. He reached the final in Miami, losing to Czech teenager Jakub Mensik. He lost to Germany’s Alexander Zverev in the semifinals at this year’s Australian Open.
“(It is) 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,” Djokovic said after his loss in Madrid.
“It’s a completely different feeling from what I had in 20-plus years,” he continued. “It’s a challenge for me mentally to really face these kinds of sensations on the court, going out early now regularly in tournaments.”
–Field Level Media
