Novak Djokovic suffered a surprise second-round defeat at the Italian Open on Friday, losing 6-2 2-6 6-4 to Croatian qualifier Dino Prizmic. The Serbian was playing his first tournament since Indian Wells in March, having been sidelined with injury.
Djokovic, a six-time champion in Rome, struggled physically throughout the match. After cruising through the opening set, he became laboured in the second and was unable to match Prizmic's aggression in the decisive third set. The defeat marks the first time Djokovic has lost his opening match in Rome.
Prizmic, now world No 79, previously took a set off Djokovic at the 2024 Australian Open. The 19-year-old claimed his second career top-10 victory, having beaten Ben Shelton in Madrid last month. He will face either Vit Kopriva or Ugo Humbert in the next round.
Djokovic admitted before the match that he was not happy with his physical state. The early exit leaves him short of match fitness with only one clay-court match played ahead of the French Open, which begins on 24 May.
