'Going to keep going': Djokovic vows to peak at Roland Garros after Monte-Carlo Masters shock exit
World number one Novak Djokovic crashed to a three-set defeat in only his fourth match of the season, falling 6-3 6-7(5) 6-1 to unseeded Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the second round of the Monte Carlo Masters on Tuesday.
FollowIn what has left fans of Novak Djokovic disheartened, the World No.1 men's tennis player suffered a shocking defeat against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in his opening clash at the Monte-Carlo Masters on Tuesday.
The Serbian, who played in just his second tournament of the year following his refusal to get vaccinated against Covid-19, lost 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 6-1 to the 46th-ranked Spaniard after dropping his serve eight times.
"This win is so special to me because I grew up watching Nole, and I'm a big fan of his," Fokina said in his post-match interview.
"I knew Nole didn't have the confidence because he didn't play a lot this season... I had my chances at the beginning of the match, and I took them. When he won the second set, it was tough mentally, but I worked hard to be focused. I had to be prepared for the war," he added.
Meanwhile, the World No.1 stated, "I always believed that I could come back and win the match. I stayed there even though a lot of things were against me in terms of how I felt on court. Game-wise, physically I was just far from my best. I'm going to keep going and hopefully build my form for Roland Garros."
"Unfortunately I'm on the shorter end of the stick, and my week ends here. I have to try to be optimistic and build, as I said, to Roland Garros and where I want to peak," he added.
"I would like to congratulate Alejandro. He was the better player. He managed to find a better rhythm I think in the first two sets. I expected this match to be really tough match, physical battle, and that's what it was," the Serb concluded.
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Following this loss, fans of the 20-time Grand Slam champion expressed anguish overseeing their favourite star crash out of the first tournament of the claycourt season. Here's a look at some of the reactions on Twitter:
Earlier, the 34-year-old had stated that he plans to use the challenging experiences he has endured this year as fuel for the rest of the season.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion was unable to defend his Australian Open title in January after being deported from the country, having initially been admitted to the tournament despite not taking the vaccine. He was also unable to play the “Sunshine Swing” in Indian Wells and Miami last month.
“I am testing my engine, so to say, and building my game, so it will take obviously some time, some matches to really get in the groove and find the competitive play that I really need,” he said Sunday in Monte Carlo. “Roland Garros is the ultimate goal in clay court season.”
The Serbian will need more match play before the French Open which runs May 22-June 5, and still has opportunities on clay should Djokovic opt to play some combination of Belgrade, Madrid and Rome.
