Novak Djokovic said he is facing a "new reality" after losing his opening match at the Madrid Open on Saturday. It was the second straight opening match loss for the Serb and third defeat overall.
Djokovic fell to Italian player Matteo Arnaldi in straight sets. This marks a rare losing streak for the 37-year-old player in his two decades of professional tennis.
The loss in Spain followed a first-round exit at the Monte Carlo Masters two weeks prior, where he lost to Alejandro Tabilo. Before that, he lost in the Miami Open final in March.
Djokovic commented on his current mindset. "I was hoping I can play one more match than I played in Monte Carlo," he said. "Kind of a new reality for me, I have to say, trying to win a match or two, not really thinking about getting far in the tournament."
The struggles come at the start of the clay-court season, which leads up to the French Open tournament next month. Djokovic is the winner of 24 Grand Slam titles.
Arnaldi, 24, said he was happy simply to play against Djokovic. "He's my idol, he's always been, so I was just glad that I could play him," Arnaldi said after the match.
This was the Italian's second career win against a top-five ranked player. Djokovic is the fourth seed in the tournament.
Other results as part of the early Madrid Open 2025 Schedule saw some British players advance. Jack Draper, Cameron Norrie, and Jacob Fearnley all won their matches to progress.
Djokovic reflected on his recent run of results. "For 20 years, I didn't experience what I'm experiencing in the last 12 months," he said. "Early exits and way too many."
"But it is part of the sport, and you have to accept the circumstances and try to make the best out of the circumstances in your favor for whatever is coming up."
