Novak Djokovic has admitted he must accept continuous physical struggles as his “new reality” after a two-month absence from competition ended in a second-round defeat to Croatian qualifier Dino Prizmic at the Italian Open.
“It’s not an ideal preparation, to be honest,” Djokovic said. “I don’t recall the last time I had in the last couple of years a preparation where I didn’t have any kind of physical issues or health issues coming into the tournament. There’s always something. Kind of a new reality that I have to deal with. It is frustrating. At the same time it’s my decision to still perform in that kind of state and conditions. It is what it is.”
The 38-year-old Serbian, seeded fourth in Rome, received a first-round bye before facing Prizmic. He had not played since the Indian Wells Masters two months ago, his only other tournament being his spectacular run to the Australian Open final. From the outset, Djokovic struggled to impose himself. Prizmic, 20, dragged the Serb into long, attritional rallies and played bold tennis to secure a 2-6, 6-2, 6-4 victory — the greatest of his career. It was Djokovic’s first opening-match loss at the Italian Open in 19 appearances.
A New Reality
Djokovic’s physical difficulties were visible throughout the contest. His shoulder was taped, and at one point he doubled over, appearing to grab his stomach; he also seemed to spit or vomit during the second set. Once down 4-0 in the second set, the 38-year-old could not find a way back. “I’m not definitely where I want to be for the highest level,” he admitted. “I’m late half a step.”
These struggles are part of a broader, persistent pattern. Djokovic has dealt with a succession of ailments over the past two seasons. At the 2024 United Cup he suffered from a right wrist issue. At the 2024 Australian Open — where he reached the semi-finals before losing to Jannik Sinner — he appeared untroubled, but his physical problems soon resurfaced. At the 2024 Indian Wells Masters he lost to world No. 123 Luca Nardi in the third round, describing his performance as “really, really bad.” A torn medial meniscus in his right knee, sustained during the 2024 French Open, required surgery and forced him to withdraw before the quarter-finals. A stomach bug contributed to a semi-final loss at the 2024 Geneva Open. At the 2024 Wimbledon Championships he wore a brace on his right knee and was hampered in a semi-final loss to Carlos Alcaraz. At the 2024 US Open he lost in the third round to Alexei Popyrin.
The problems have continued into this season. At the 2025 Australian Open he tore his left hamstring in the quarter-finals and retired during the semi-finals. At the 2025 Wimbledon Championships he appeared to suffer a leg injury in the quarter-finals and looked hampered in the semi-finals. At the 2025 Shanghai Masters he experienced hip and back issues. At the 2025 US Open he admitted to feeling unwell and struggling to recover physically in long rallies, though he clarified he had no specific injury. This litany of physical setbacks has left him unable to build consistent match rhythm. “I’m not definitely where I want to be for the highest level,” he repeated, a phrase that has become a refrain.
Prizmic’s Stunning Victory
Out of respect for his opponent, Djokovic opted not to elaborate on his specific physical issues in his immediate post-match press conference. Instead he praised Prizmic, who is ranked world No. 79 — a career high achieved on 4 May 2026 — and who has won eight of his last ten matches. The Croatian, winner of three ATP Challenger Tour titles and the 2023 boys’ singles title at Roland Garros, produced fearless tennis when it mattered most. Djokovic and Prizmic had met once before, at the 2024 Australian Open, where Djokovic won in four sets. On that occasion Djokovic described the match as feeling like playing himself in a mirror due to the physical nature of the rallies. This time, the elder player could not keep up.
“He’s a great competitor, great fighter, a great kid,” Djokovic said. “I’ve known him for some years. Obviously we speak the same language, so I always wish him all the best. Today he has definitely performed high-level tennis. I told him at the net that his forehand improved a lot. Whatever he has been doing with his team is working out well. He should just keep going.”
French Open Uncertain
The defeat leaves Djokovic with no match wins from any of the three ATP Masters clay events this season, the same situation he faced last year. In 2024 he lost his opening matches at both the Monte Carlo and Madrid Masters, then failed to win a match at the Italian Open. Last year a last-minute wildcard at the Geneva Open provided him with enough match play to reach the semi-finals of the French Open, where he lost in three tight sets to Jannik Sinner. This year, Djokovic has confirmed he will not attempt to compete in the week before Roland Garros.
Asked whether he believes he will be in good shape by Paris, Djokovic was uncertain. “I don’t know,” he said, smiling. “I hope so. Let’s see what happens.” Having withdrawn from the 2024 French Open due to knee surgery, he now faces the challenge of defending his title under significant physical question marks, with only the Italian Open match — a loss — as his sole clay-court preparation for the year’s second Grand Slam.
