Novak Djokovic has had a lengthy career of dominance. He’s won every significant title and has the most Grand Slams of all time.
But nothing lasts forever.
The Serbian suffered a 6-3, 6-4 loss to Matteo Arnaldi at the Madrid Open on Saturday. It’s Djokovic’s first three-game losing streak since 2018.
He fell in the Miami Open final and has since suffered first-round exits at Monte-Carlo and now Madrid.
In the postgame press conference, Novak opened up about his struggles.
He acknowledged that he is no longer a dominant force who can focus on deep tournament runs. He now struggles to get out of the opening rounds.
“Kind of a new reality for me trying to win a match or two not thinking about getting far in the tournament,” Djokovic said. “It’s a completely different feeling from what I’ve had in 20-plus years of professional tennis. It’s a challenge for me mentally to face these kind of sensations on the court, going out of a tournament early.”
“It’s the circle of life and career. Eventually it was going to happen,” he added.
An honest assessment from Djokovic after his loss to Arnaldi earlier 🎙️#MMOpen pic.twitter.com/2TObDyqXtl
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) April 26, 2025
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Djokovic has mentioned that he wants to use these Masters tournaments as a way to prepare for Grand Slams. Those are most important to him and it’s when he wants to play his best tennis.
But his results through two clay tournaments would say it’s going to be a struggle for the three-time French Open champ at Roland-Garros.
Djokovic’s last title was on that court, when he defeated Carlos Alcaraz to win a gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Since then, it’s been a sharp descent for one of the greatest athletes of all time. He will need to dig deep if he wants to overcome the obstacle of Father Time.
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