Novak Djokovic dismisses doubts about Roland Garros after opening round loss at the Madrid Open
Novak Djokovic has been once again denied of a 100th ATP title this week. following loss against Matteo Arnaldi.
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Novak Djokovic (via X)
Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic has remained optimistic about his chances for Roland Garros despite the hardships in his clay-court season so far. The Serb lost in the opening round of the Madrid Open to Matteo Arnaldi to put his Roland Garros preparation in doubt.
Djokovic shared one positive: he enjoyed the Madrid Open event a lot more than Monte Carlo, where he also suffered a first-round exit. However, the lack of winning results have made the atmosphere around him less enjoyable.
Honestly, no. I wanted to play more matches than I did in Monte Carlo. It’s a new reality for me, I have to say, trying to win a match or two without thinking about going far in tournaments. It’s a completely different feeling from what I’ve had for over 20 years on the circuit. It’s a mental challenge I face on the court. I guess it’s the cycle of life.
Novak Djokovic said in his post-match press conference
Djokovic has now lost in the opening round of a tournament on three occasions in 2025. The previous two times came at the Qatar Open, where he lost to Matteo Berrettini. Then, he lost to Alejandro Tabilo in the first round at Monte Carlo.
It was going to happen at some point. I try to use it as motivation for the future. The Grand Slams are the most important tournaments for me, which doesn’t mean I don’t want to win in Madrid, but that’s where I want to play my best tennis. I don’t know if I’ll be able to do that at Roland Garros, but I’ll do everything I can.
Novak Djokovic added
Last year, Djokovic was having similar results on clay. However, the Serb took a wildcard to play Geneva and gave himself more matches on clay to prepare for Roland Garros. It remains to be seen if the 24-time Grand Slam champion takes a similar route this season.
Novak Djokovic opens up on a new career pathway after Madrid Open loss
Former World No.1 Novak Djokovic admits the consistency in his early exits is alarming. The Serb claims that regular losses are something that he has not experienced in his 20-year career.
It’s been 20 years without experiencing what I’ve been going through in the last 12 months. Early defeats, too many. It’s part of the sport, and you have to accept the circumstances, try to make the best of it. I can’t sit here and complain about my career, but it’s a different feeling that I have to accept. I always try to be optimistic, I know what I’m capable of, but things are different. My shots, my body, my movements… it’s a reality I have to accept and give my best with what I have, especially in Grand Slams. We’ll see what happens.
Novak Djokovic said in his post-match press conference
Djokovic won his 98th ATP title at the ATP Finals in 2023. That was his seventh title at the ATP Finals as he looked to remain on course to achieve more milestones.
However, the Serb has won only one title since the start of the 2024 season, which came at the Paris Olympics in 2024. The Serb won the Olympic Gold medal, defeating Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets to achieve the lone missing piece of his CV.
In 2025, he has once again remained title-less like he was in the first eight months of 2024. Djokovic has reached only one final this season, which came at the Miami Masters.
How Matteo Arnaldi secured his biggest career win against Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic and Matteo Arnaldi exchanged early breaks in the first set. At 3-4, Deuce, Djokovic hit two double faults in a row. This gave Arnaldi a big break, and he served out the first set.
In the second set, Arnaldi saved a break point at 3-3 from a very defensive position. He won the exciting rally and celebrated with the crowd. In the next game, he fought back from 0/40 to hold serve and kept the momentum to win the match in one hour and 41 minutes.
Djokovic has now lost three matches in a row. He lost the Miami final to Jakub Mensik and then fell to Alejandro Tabilo in Monte Carlo. Djokovic, who was trying to win his 100th title, now leaves Madrid with a 12-7 record this season, according to the Infosys ATP Win-Loss Index.
Arnaldi will next play Damir Dzumhur, who beat 32nd seed Sebastian Baez. The 24-year-old Italian has now beaten two Top 5 players in Madrid. Last year, he upset then-World No. 4 Casper Ruud at the same event.
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