Match ReactionLearn more about the 37-year-old’s loss to Tabilo
April 09, 2025
Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour
Novak Djokovic falls to Alejandro Tabilo in straight sets on Wednesday in Monte-Carlo. By ATP Staff
Novak Djokovic suffered an upset defeat to Alejandro Tabilo on Wednesday in the second round of the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.
The two-time Monte-Carlo champion and 40-time ATP Masters 1000 titlist will have to wait at least one more event to claim his 100th tour-level trophy.
ATPTour.com looks at three surprising facts about Tabilo’s upset of the former World No. 1 in The Principality.
Djokovic has dominated lefties
The Serbian’s great rival, Rafael Nadal, is a lefty. Djokovic won their Lexus ATP Head2Head series 31-29. But overall, the 37-year-old has long dominated lefties.
Before facing Tabilo in Rome last year, Djokovic was a stunning 107-11 against lefties other than Nadal for a winning percentage of 90.6 per cent according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. That is better than his current career winning percentage (83.3%).
Since the start of 2011, Djokovic had lost to just three left-handed players not named Nadal: Jiri Vesely (twice), Martin Klizan and Feliciano Lopez. Tabilo joins Vesely with a 2-0 record against the 99-time tour-level titlist.
Tabilo is just the ninth player to start 2-0 against Djokovic
The Chilean has joined an exclusive club in beginning his Lexus ATP Head2Head series against the 40-time ATP Masters 1000 champion with a 2-0 record. Only eight other players have accomplished the feat: Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Fernando Verdasco, Olivier Rochus, Nick Kyrgios, Jiri Vesely, Marat Safin and Guillermo Coria.
Only three of those players won their first two meetings with Djokovic in straight sets: Nadal, Kyrgios and Safin. Tabilo has lost just three games per set on average against the former World No. 1 through two meetings, triumphing 6-2, 6-3 in Rome and 6-3, 6-4 in Monte-Carlo.
The Chilean entered Monte-Carlo searching for form
Tabilo arrived in Monte-Carlo with a 2-9 record this season and on an eight-match clay-court losing streak. He held a 1-8 record against Top 10 opponents before facing Djokovic. Now both have his Top 10 wins have come against the Serbian.
“I guess it’s just tennis. I know that most of the matches I’ve played, I’ve lost pretty close and could have gone either way. A lot of 7-6 in the third or three-setters,” Tabilo told Tennis Channel after his victory. “I knew my tennis was there. It’s been a little tough mentally in the personal side, but just tried to stay focused and just tried to play a new match and I knew if I could play solid I could stay there.”
