Novak Djokovic Faces Upset at Monte Carlo Masters Against Alejandro Tabilo

Djokovic's Quest for 100th Title Stumbles

Novak Djokovic's pursuit of his 100th career title came to an unexpected halt as he suffered a defeat against Alejandro Tabilo. The Chilean player, who previously shocked Djokovic at the Italian Open last year, triumphed with a score of 6-3, 6-4 in the second round of the Monte Carlo Masters.

Returning to clay for the first time since securing Olympic gold in Paris last August, Djokovic admitted he entered the match with low expectations.

He remarked, 'I anticipated a challenging opponent and expected to play poorly, but not this poorly.'

Having recently lost to Jakub Mensik in the Miami Open final, Djokovic, who will turn 38 next month, is gearing up for the French Open set to begin on May 25.

In contrast, French Open champion Carlos Alcaraz kicked off his clay season with a comeback victory over Francisco Cerundolo, winning 3-6, 6-0, 6-1.

Alcaraz, who faced an unexpected defeat against Belgian veteran David Goffin in Miami, found himself in a tough spot when Cerundolo took the first set. However, he quickly regained control, converting five out of seven break points in the subsequent sets.

Alcaraz aims to secure his second title of 2025 while refining his clay-court skills ahead of his title defense at Roland Garros next month.

Tabilo sealed his victory on his second match point after Djokovic's service return went long.

Djokovic had previously saved one match point while trailing 5-3, showcasing a clever drop shot that left Tabilo unable to respond.

In other matches, No. 13 seed Lorenzo Musetti defeated Jiri Lehecka 1-6, 7-5, 6-2, setting up a clash with fellow Italian Matteo Berrettini, who eliminated top seed Alexander Zverev.

Daniil Medvedev overcame Alexandre Muller with a score of 7-6 (6), 5-7, 6-2, while fourth seed Casper Ruud dispatched Roberto Bautista Agut 6-2, 6-1.

Veteran French players Richard Gasquet and Gael Monfils were ousted by Daniel Altmaier and seventh-seeded Andrey Rublev, respectively.

The Monte Carlo Masters marks the inaugural major clay-court event of the ATP Tour season.