Novak Djokovic’s pursuit of a historic 100th ATP singles title hit another roadblock as the Serbian legend suffered a straight-set defeat to Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo in the Monte Carlo Masters.
In his clay-court season opener, Djokovic struggled to find his rhythm, succumbing 6-3, 6-4 in a subdued performance.
The 37-year-old, a record-holder with 24 Grand Slam titles, entered the tournament riding a ten-match winning streak on clay, including his triumphant run to Olympic gold last July.
Yet, Tabilo—ranked 32nd in the world—proved his undoing, replicating his shock victory over Djokovic from the Italian Open nearly a year ago.
Djokovic made a promising start by breaking Tabilo’s serve in the opening game, but the Chilean responded with determination.
Tabilo twice broke the former world number one’s serve to claim the first set, and dealt the decisive blow early in the second, capitalizing on Djokovic’s unforced errors to secure the win.
The loss marks another missed opportunity for Djokovic to join Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer in the exclusive club of players with 100 Tour-level titles. His hunt for the milestone continues after falling short in recent events, including a Miami Open final defeat to Czech teenager Jakub Mensik.
Elsewhere in Monte Carlo, Spanish sensation Carlos Alcaraz demonstrated his dominance with a comeback victory over Francisco Cerundolo.
Alcaraz, the world number three, rebounded from a shaky start to win 12 of the last 13 games, securing a 3-6, 6-0, 6-1 triumph. Norwegian Casper Ruud and Russian Andrey Rublev also advanced, while Britain’s Jack Draper looks forward to his third-round clash on Thursday.
