World No.1 Novak Djokovic admitted that his mishap after his match on Friday where he received a water bottle on the head could perhaps explain his rout in the 3rd round of the Masters 1000 in Rome on Sunday. “We must congratulate my opponent, I had never faced him. He is a good player, very complete, I was not able to find good sensations on the court,” he declared after his defeat against the Chilean Alejandro Tabilo (31st in the world) 6-2, 6-3.
“I was completely off base, lacking rhythm and balance,” he continued at a press conference. “I cannot say (if what happened on Friday) had an impact. We will have to do examinations” explained “Djoko” who has still not won a title in 2024.
The skull cut by a gourd
Friday evening, he was knocked unconscious by the water bottle that fell from a spectator’s bag while he was signing autographs after his easy victory against Frenchman Corentin Moutet (6-3, 6-1). With his skull cut, he was able to quickly return to his hotel, without going to a hospital, and trained normally the next day.
“In training I didn’t feel anything negative, but today I didn’t feel like myself. Under the influence of stress, I wasn’t the same player as on Friday,” stressed the Serbian , winner of 24 Grand Slam titles. Before Roland-Garros (May 26-June 9), “I will have to do exams, do a scan, which I did not do here”. he detailed. To be able to shine on clay, “I have to improve everything, really everything,” he warned.