“He fears the Italian fox”- Fans accuse Novak Djokovic of avoiding Jannik Sinner clash in Rome after his withdrawal

Six-time Italian Open champion Novak Djokovic will miss the tournament for the first time since 2007.

“He fears the Italian fox”- Fans accuse Novak Djokovic of avoiding Jannik Sinner clash in Rome after his withdrawal

Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic (Image via X/Served with Andy Roddick Podcast, We Are Tennis)

What forced Novak Djokovic to withdraw from the Italian Open? Well, for the Jannik Sinner fans, Djokovic wanted to avoid meeting the home favorite.

Djokovic, so far on the clay swing, had disappointing campaigns, for he lost his opening round matches in Monte Carlo and Madrid to Alejandro Tabilo and Matteo Arnaldi, respectively. When everyone thought Djokovic started his preparation for the Italian Open, he ended up pulling out of the tournament.

Djokovic, the six-time Italian Open champion (last won in 2022), will miss the tournament for the first time since making his debut in 2007. If it’s not an injury problem, then Djokovic would start his training for the French Open, where last year, he reached the quarterfinals but was forced to withdraw due to an injury.

The third clay-court Masters 1000 tournament of the season is scheduled to start on May 7. A few days before that, Sinner’s three-month doping ban will end.

Sinner was handed the suspension after the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) reached a settlement agreement with him after demanding before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) a lengthy ban on the World No.1. Because of the ban, Sinner skipped the two Sunshine Double tournaments, Monte Carlo Masters, and the Madrid Open, along with several ATP 500 tournaments.

So far in the season, Sinner only participated in the Australian Open, defending his crown by breezing past Alexander Zverev in straight sets. He then chose not to defend his Rotterdam Open title and instead prepared for the Qatar Open when WADA’s announcement forced him to withdraw from the tournament.

Last year, Sinner was the most successful player on the ATP tour, winning eight official titles, including the Australian Open, the US Open, and the ATP Finals. He reached a career-high ranking of No.1 and ended the season by winning the Davis Cup with Italy.

But the doping controversy didn’t let him enjoy his achievements to the fullest. He tested positive for clostebol in March and was given two provisional suspensions but he was successful in avoiding a lengthy ban as the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) declared him innocent in August.

Fans criticize Novak Djokovic for withdrawing from the Italian Open

Novak Djokovic has locked horns with Jannik Sinner eight times with both players winning four matches each. But in their last three encounters, it was the Italian who prevailed, including in last year’s Australian Open semifinal. So when reports of Djokovic’s withdrawal from the Italian Open emerged, some fans mocked him by accusing him of avoiding a potential clash with Sinner in the tournament.

Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic
Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic (Images via ATP/X)

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Djokovic hasn’t yet lifted a title since winning the 2024 Paris Olympics by beating Carlos Alcaraz. Since that victory, Djokovic reached two finals; and in one of these finals, it was Sinner who beat him. It was at the Shanghai Masters, the hard-court ATP 1000 event where both the players last faced each other. He played his second final at the Miami Open this year which he lost to Jakub Mensik.

Djokovic is still searching for his historic 25th Grand Slam title, last winning the trophy at the 2023 US Open. The 37-year-old advanced to just one final since that victory: he had progressed to the summit clash of last year’s Wimbledon but Alcaraz secured his second consecutive win over him at SW19 after denying him the Calendar Grand Slam with a five-set win in the 2023 Wimbledon final.

Nole is still stuck on 99 ATP titles. If he wins another, he will become the third man after Roger Federer and Jimmy Connors to win 100 or more titles.

Also read: (Video) Alexander Bublik mocks the level of his opponent Jakub Mensik in a bizarre confrontation with the chair umpire at the Madrid Open