ROME: Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo has secured a monumental victory in his career, stunning the tennis world by defeating world number one Novak Djokovic 6-2 6-3 in the third round of the Italian Open. The match, lasting a mere 67 minutes, unfolded on Sunday, just two days after Djokovic endured an unfortunate incident where he was struck on the head by a water bottle.
Despite Djokovic’s illustrious history at the tournament, claiming victory six times, Tabilo seized the spotlight, breaking the top seed four times on Centre Court without conceding a single break point.
Djokovic, visibly off his usual form, attributed his performance to the incident on Friday, where he was accidentally hit by a fan’s water bottle while signing autographs. “That has really impacted me a lot,” Djokovic expressed during a news conference, detailing symptoms of nausea, dizziness, and bleeding following the incident, prompting medical attention and subsequent scans.
Reflecting on his unexpected triumph, Tabilo, aged 26 and ranked 32nd in the world, marveled at the momentous occasion, becoming the first Chilean in 17 years to defeat a world number one since Fernando Gonzalez’s victory over Roger Federer in 2007.
Djokovic’s defeat not only marks his failure to reach a single final in 2024 but also raises concerns about his clay court preparations for the upcoming French Open, with the Serbian emphasizing the need for improvement to stand a chance at the year’s second Grand Slam.
